The Betrayal
by MadamKabooshkwa
Summary: Killing was all she knew, but she didn't know what else to do. So when she's offered a job to be both secretary and to date a covert business owner, she seizes the chance to find a way out of the world of hell she was in.
1. Chapter 1

**Welcome to The Betrayal! I've been working on this story for quite some time now, and I finished writing out the story the other week. I was going to wait and upload this story after Loved By The Gods, but oh well. I've attempted (?) a new formatting? I think? I hope it's an improvement? I'm very unsure of myself at the moment. Let me know if it's any better.**

 **As usual, if you aren't familiar with my stories (Not including A New Beginning), then I should warn you that there is violence and some adult content in this. If that's not to your liking, then shoo.**

* * *

It was a pleasant Spring day, with a gentle breeze and warm sun. Cherry blossom petals had begun to fall and it wouldn't be long before the flower viewing festivities began.

Sakura, however, would not be taking part in such festivities. She finished packing the last of her things in the final box and taped it up with a heavy sigh. She pushed it to the side and stood up, walking over to the bench.

The apartment she was moving out of was small, but comfortable. It had one bedroom and a small living space and kitchen.  
A floor board creaked under her foot as she walked to the kitchen bench, picking up the file that sat on top and stared at it tiredly. This new assignment of hers was going to be tough-she knew that simply from reading the man's background history and that her assignment was in the S rank.

Sakura thought back, remembering the day she'd received the file.

...

"Sakura!"

Sakura looked up from the table to meet the eyes of her best friend-her only friend and person she trusted-the famous opera singer, Tomoyo Daidouji. She was a beautiful young woman, with soft pale skin and large violet coloured eyes. Her pink lips were curved into a smile. Her long, wavy black hair cascaded down her back and over her shoulders.  
The woman was holding a bouquet of pink and yellow roses and she was wearing a floor length silk gown in a pale shade of lavender. She had just finished greeting her VIP guests backstage.

Sakura blinked. "Sorry-what?"

Tomoyo rolled her eyes playfully, "I asked what was on your mind. Sometimes you get this distant look on your face, like you're off in some other world." She said as she sat down in front of the dressing room mirror.

Sakura had been waiting in the room ever since Tomoyo had finished her incredible performance.

"Oh...sorry." Sakura replied dully.

"So, what happened to Jun?" Tomoyo then asked. "Is everything okay between the two of you?"

Sakura shrugged. "We broke up."

Tomoyo gasped in shock. "Oh Sakura, I'm so sorry. Are you okay?"

Sakura nodded. "I'm not that torn up about it, really."

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "He seemed like a really great guy. What happened...?"

Sakura leant her cheek on her hand. "He said he couldn't deal with me being so emotionless all the time. It's understandable, I suppose." She explained, looking a little bored. Sakura couldn't care less-in fact, she was quite happy to be rid of him.

Tomoyo groaned. "All right, first of all, stop dating men if you have no interest in them." She advised.

"Interest?" Sakura repeated with a small frown of confusion.

Tomoyo gave a sigh of exasperation. "Alright, I know that you were brought up and trained not to feel emotions, but surely you're not dating these men without feeling an _inkling_ of interest?"

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, "It stops me from being bored."

"And that's why you can't hold down a relationship. You don't have any interest in them or who they are."

"Does that really matter?" she asked. Sakura had been in several relationships, but she wouldn't necessarily call them intimate. Except one-but she had no desire to remember that one. It had ended badly, and she had never seen him again. Since then, she barely showed interest in the men around her.

"Of course, it does, sweetie." Tomoyo sighed.

"Then...how do I do that?" she asked.

Tomoyo opened her mouth to speak but was interrupted when Sakura's phone went off. Sakura reached into her plain black leather handbag and removed her phone, finding she had a message.

"Is that the agency?" Tomoyo asked. Her distaste for the agency was clear as day on her face.

Sakura nodded. "I'm needed for an assignment. I'm sorry."

Tomoyo frowned with concern at her friend, "Aren't you tired of that place? Why don't you quit?"

Sakura looked into the mirror. She saw a boring woman, with boring emerald green eyes and boring short pale caramel coloured hair. There was nothing interesting about her or her life, in her opinion. She didn't know anymore.  
Her job was the only thing she knew.  
Being an assassin, that is, and an incredibly efficient one.

"I'm not sure...maybe I am."

Tomoyo took Sakura's hands in her own. "Please, Sakura, think about it for me?" she begged.

Sakura held eye contact with her friend for a long moment. She knew her best friend only wanted the best for her, but she did not know why she was so insistent on getting her to quit her job. But Sakura was tired of her job-it exhausted her, and she hated to acknowledge that.  
She nodded. "Okay."

Tomoyo smiled gently, "Alright. Stay safe-don't get into too much trouble!"

A small smile pulled at Sakura's lips. Sakura had learned to trust and feel herself around Tomoyo, and she had even learned about feelings of friendship thanks to her patience. "Thanks, Tomoyo. I'll call you when I can."

Tomoyo nodded, and Sakura left the dressing room. She turned to her right and headed down to the exit that led out to a dark alley-it was late, about eleven o'clock, and it was quite chilly. The alley was quiet, which wasn't a surprise, and Sakura made her way out onto the main street. It was busy-but the middle of the city always was-and Sakura made her way through the suffocating crowds.

Some men standing outside a strip club whistled at her as she passed by, but she ignored them and continued past-or at least tried to.  
One of the men who looked to be in his early thirties grabbed her arm and pulled her over.

"Hey now, don't be shy."

Sakura didn't bother saying anything. She knew what they wanted.

"Why don't you tell us your pretty name?"

The grip around her arm tightened painfully, but she didn't feel overly bothered about it. However, she didn't have time to deal with these men or take part in their stupid games.

She shoved all her body weight into the man holding her and quickly proceeded to punch him hard, three times in the abdomen. He released his grip on her, bent over in pain, and she lifted her knee up into his nose and broke it. She then spun around, blocking the fist flying at her face, and made quick work of the man's accomplice as well.  
She watched for a moment as they writhed on the floor in agony before turning and continuing down the road feeling rather satisfied.

She approached a tall sky scraper building that presented itself as a regular government department building, however that was not the case.  
This tall building was where assassins were trained, brought up and assigned their work. No one knew about it, and no one ever would. They were trained to fit in with the world around them, to put up a mask and fool the world, but never feel. Feelings, after all, were a person's greatest weakness-or so they were taught.

With a soft sigh, Sakura pushed open the heavy glass door and walked into the pristine lobby, walked across the plush burgundy carpet and towards the elevators. She pressed the button to open the elevator doors and waited for a moment. A soft chime sounded, and the doors parted; Sakura stepped inside and pressed the button for the top floor.

She wondered what her new assignment was this time. Her last assignment had taken her overseas to a small European country to assassinate a woman who had betrayed her ex-husbands trust and sold out his company, getting all the money he lost.  
She didn't understand why people behaved in such ways. It was all too strange to her.

Another chime sounded, alerting Sakura that she had arrived at the top floor. She stepped out and turned to her left, making her way down the long winding hallway until she came to a stop at a wooden door. She knocked twice and waited to be acknowledged.

"Come in." A strong voice sounded.

Sakura opened the door and stepped inside. Sitting behind a large desk was a lean muscular man wearing a black suit with a red tie and white dress shirt. He wore designer sunglasses, and his black hair was a mess.

"You called, Rin?" Sakura spoke as she came to a stop in the middle of the room.

The man looked up from where he sat. "Yes. You have a new assignment." He pushed a file towards her.

She stepped forward to take it, "Here in Japan, or overseas?"  
Part of her was hoping it was in Japan-she hated flying and she hated being away from the comfort of her familiar surroundings. But, work was work and she had to deal with it.

"Your target lives here, in Japan. He's the head of the Li clan." Rin explained.

Sakura raised her brow, "The clan of magicians over in Hong Kong?"  
She had heart bits and pieces about them over the years, but she never paid much attention to the gossip around her. She was familiar with the practice of magic, but she rarely ever used it-she saw no need to when she was quite capable of doing things without its help.

He nodded. "He requires a personal secretary or an advisor of sorts. You'll be taking up this position. This mission will be difficult-he's a smart man. That's why we've called you." He explained.

Sakura nodded, "I'll look at the file as soon as I get home."

Rin nodded. "You'll be meeting him tomorrow morning. All of the details have been sent to your phone."

"Understood."

Sakura turned to leave, heading for the door, but Rin stopped her.

"You know what to do, Sakura."

Sakura hesitated for a minute. "…Yes, sir."

Then, she left.

…

Her apartment building wasn't far away-a five-minute walk at most. Sakura swiped her key card and pushed her door open, shutting it behind herself and walked straight over to the couch.  
She was exhausted.  
But, she needed to read the file, so she sat up and opened it to reveal the photograph of a man in his late twenties, with a square jaw and lightly tanned skin. He was lean and muscular, with warm amber eyes and messy chocolate coloured hair.  
His age showed he was 28, one year older than Sakura.  
He was single, trained in various forms of martial arts and magic, and had an impressive educational background.

Sakura read through his history, gaining knowledge of the type of person he was.  
When she was done, she pulled out her phone to look at the meeting time and place.

It would take place at a quiet cafe at eleven thirty. If she was to get this job, she needed to act professional, just as her job would demand of her.

"Li Syaoran..." she murmured his name.  
 _'No loose ends._ ' She reminded herself, and then headed straight to bed.

…

The cafe was warm and quiet. The bells chimed as Sakura opened the door, and it didn't take her long to spot the man she was meeting. She had to admit, he was a lot more attractive in person than in the photos.

She walked over to the table he sat at by the window wearing a perfect smile. "Mr Li?"

The man looked up and amber met emerald. Sakura felt a strange feeling in her chest as they held eye contact, her cheeks warming a little.

He raised his brow. "Can I help you?"

It took a long moment for Sakura to comprehend what he'd just asked. Flustered, she quickly apologised. "I'm sorry-I'm here for the meeting we organised? For the job?" she quickly smiled.

Recognition showed on his face. "Ah-please, sit."

She sat herself down in the seat across from him.

"Did you want to order anything first?" he asked.

Sakura's ears perked at his comment. "Oh...you wouldn't mind?"  
She never passed up the chance to have a slice of her favourite cake.

He gave a small shrug. "Do as you please."

Sakura waved a waitress over and spouted off an order of a slice of strawberry shortcake and chamomile tea. She couldn't help but notice the waitress's obvious sexual interest in the man sitting before her.

"And you, sir?"

"I'll have the same tea. That's all, thank you." He dismissed her without even looking her way.

"Of course." The waitress smiled flirtatiously, and then walked off swaying her hips.

His eyes were focused entirely on Sakura, who started fidgeting awkwardly beneath his piercing gaze. Sakura wasn't sure how to act in such a situation, so she gave an awkward smile.  
There was something about him that made Sakura feel self-conscious, something she had _never_ felt before. Just what was it about him? Was it just that he looked attractive? Or was it something else?

They sat in an awkward silence until their orders arrived. The same waitress placed Sakura's order in front of her, and then set Syaoran's tea down along with a fruit tart he didn't order.

He looked at her and she winked. "It's on me." She said and walked away before he could say anything more.

He sighed and shook his head in exasperation. "So, Miss Kinomoto, let's discuss the position." He then spoke.

"Of course." She smiled politely.

"I'll need an extra pair of eyes to assist me with my work, and to carry out errands when I can't complete them. Are you aware of what my family does?" he asked.

Sakura nodded. "Your family caters to magicians, making custom items for magic use."

He nodded. "That's correct." He said, "Are you aware of the other side of this position, however?"

Sakura frowned. "I'm sorry, but I don't recall reading about another side..." she apologised and was immediately filled with dread. She HAD to get this position.

"I'm looking for a partner-someone to spend my life with. The other part to this will require you to live with me, as well as us getting to know each other. Essentially, we'd be dating." He explained.

Sakura paused her fork mid-air. She probably looked stupid, with her mouth hanging open and the fork in the middle of the air, but she was just so surprised by his words. She had not been expecting it at all. Live in the same house as _him?_

"Are you ok with that? It is your decision." He then added.

Sakura was still too stunned to answer.  
Finally, after a very long awkward pause, she spoke. "I'd like to have the chance to try." She replied. "I-um-well that is, if you're comfortable with that..." she blubbered, though she wondered why she was acting so strange.

He nodded. "Alright. I can organise for you to move in next week."

"O-okay, I'll start preparing as soon as I get home." Sakura replied.

' _Geez Sakura! Get a grip!'_ she mentally chastised herself.

"Very well."

Another awkward silence. Sakura ate her cake quietly while he stared into his steaming tea cup.

"Miss Kinomoto?"

"Yes?" she asked, voice higher than usual. She then looked slightly surprised-surprised about her behaviour.

"I need you to be completely honest with me about yourself." He said, though softly.

She blinked in surprise. "Is there something you'd like to know?" she asked, genuinely confused.

"You're not hiding any dark secrets, are you?"

"Eh?" Sakura once again paused her fork mid-way to her mouth in surprise. This time, the man sitting across from her cracked a small smile.

"I know self-defence and various forms of martial arts?" she replied, tilting her head to the side wondering if that was what he meant.

He laughed. It wasn't an unpleasant laugh, but quite pleasant for the ears. It was a warm laugh.

"Sorry," he apologised, "Forget I asked."

Sakura looked at him with confusion, feeling like she was missing some joke.

He looked at his watch and sighed softly. "Please excuse me, but I have to leave. I'll pay for the order."

"Oh-that's not necessary..." she started, but he shook his head.

"I insist."

After a moment, Sakura nodded.

Then, he nodded to the fruit tart. "Feel free to eat that as well."

"Oh-Thank you."

"I'll see you again next week." He said, and then turned to leave.

Sakura watched him pay for the order and then leave, leaving her with her cake, tea and the tart.

She had no idea how to go about this job. It entailed doing something she was terrible at. Dating.

' _Boy am I screwed…'_ she sighed to herself. She wondered if maybe she should call Rin and tell him to send someone else before she got fired from her new job-save herself the hassle. But part of her was excited, and that part of her took over her thoughts and told her not to.

Instead, she ate her cake and tart and drank her tea, and then pulled out her phone to report that she got the job.

...

Syaoran slid into his car and started the engine with a soft sigh. He wasn't sure how he felt about the meeting. The last four or five candidates had disappointed him greatly, since they were only after his money and looks. Two had cheated on him.  
He wondered if this woman would do the same.

Something about her seemed off, but at the same time he felt strangely calmed and at ease with her. Not to mention she was amusing. Her total surprise when he had told her his actual intentions, and the way she looked with her mouth hanging open would instantly cause someone to turn away in a normal situation.

He smiled to himself. This wasn't a normal situation, though.

"Sakura, huh?" he murmured to himself as he drove.

She was quite attractive with her short auburn hair that framed her oval shaped face. Her eyes were a brilliant shade of emerald, her skin pale and lips a soft pink. She looked quite fit, her body an hourglass shape. He was surprised she wasn't already married with how beautiful she was.

It didn't take long to get home. Syaoran pulled up the driveway of his two-storey house, the front garden neatly kept and beautiful flowers bloomed. The lawn was a lush green and freshly watered.

He stepped out of the car and locked it before walking up the path to the front door, mindlessly unlocking it and stepping inside.

As he stepped inside, however, his phone rang. Sighing heavily, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and looked at the screen to find a familiar name. He rolled his eyes and answered it.

"Hello Eriol."

"Is this a bad time?" the man on the end of the line asked.

"No, I just got home." Syaoran replied as he walked into the kitchen.

"Ah-you had an interview today, right?" Eriol said.

"Yeah. Her name is Sakura Kinomoto. She'll be living here as of next week." He said.

"What do you think of her?"

Syaoran furrowed his brow. "Well...I don't think she's after my money. She was completely dumbfounded when I told her, unlike the others that only showed a small moment of shock and then excitement."

Eriol hummed in thought. "And she agreed?"

"She said she wouldn't mind trying, though I think she may have looked a little uncomfortable." Syaoran answered, "I am a stranger, after all, and we'll be living together."

"Yes, that's true. Let her settle in first and get used to her job." Eriol advised. "And don't make any moves on her."

"Oh, shut up." Syaoran muttered.

"Hopefully she's the one."

"Yeah...the family is getting loud about me marrying, though."

"Is that why you've been avoiding family functions?" Eriol teased.

"Partly. It's annoying." Syaoran muttered.

Eriol laughed.

"By the way, you're coming here at some point, right?" Syaoran added.

"Yes, I'll be coming to take care of some work matters and stay for a while." Eriol answered.

"Alright. When, exactly?"

"About a month from now."

"Thanks." Syaoran sighed softly as he looked at the clock, "Sorry, but I need to get some paperwork done."

Eriol laughed, "Very well. Let me know if you need anything. I really do hope Miss Kinomoto is the one for you after all this time."

Syaoran smiled, amused. "Hopefully. See you later."

Eriol said his farewell and Syaoran ended the call.

He too hoped that Sakura would be the one he'd been looking for.

...

Sakura was at a loss for what to do. She was technically going to not only be working for the man she was supposed to kill but dating him as well! She knew this would be a difficult job, but now it just seemed harder. If she killed him too soon, she would be the first suspect, and she couldn't let that happen. No wonder it was S rank. It seemed almost impossible.

But...she had no idea about anything to do with dating. She knew he'd probably dump her within the first few weeks.

So, she did what she always did, and pulled out her phone to call her one and only friend, explaining to her the situation and her dilemma.

"WHAT?" Tomoyo shouted on the other end of the line.

"That's the truth-the man I'll be working for is also going to be dating me." Sakura said, "But I suck at relationships. You said so yourself."

Tomoyo sighed heavily. "Oh grief. I didn't say you sucked, exactly, you just have no interest."

"But I need to be with him for more than a couple of weeks to do my job..." Sakura whined, "Please Tomoyo, I'm desperate!"

"I'm not helping you unless you have an actual interest in this relationship." Tomoyo replied flatly.

"But, Tomoyo-"

"No."

Sakura sighed. "Alright. Sorry for taking you away from work." She apologised.

Tomoyo was quiet for a moment. "Sakura, I just want you to be happy. So please, consider quitting the assassin business."

Sakura lowered her eyes to her hands for a moment. "I... I'll think about it."

"Thank you." Tomoyo replied warmly.

A small, genuine smile tugged at Sakura's lips. "See you later."

She ended the call with Tomoyo and stood from her table, leaving the cafe and headed home.

...

Sakura placed the file back down on the bench with a soft sigh. It had been a hectic few days, that was for sure.

The sound of knocking at the door grabbed her attention and she moved to answer, finding it was the moving helpers who had come for her boxes and belongings.

She watched as they moved the boxes out of her apartment, wondering if there was anything else she needed to grab.

Coming up blank, Sakura grabbed her bag and shoved the file in it before heading out of the apartment.

* * *

 **What did you think? Weird? Bizarre? Typical Sarah? See you soon! (Please review, I'll love you forever) *Wink***

 **I know that in a lot of fics, Syaoran is often a very famous rich businessman and the business is usually huge and amazing. I wanted to do something different, change things up a bit to make it interesting. What do you think?**


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you all for your reviews! Some of the reactions to this story are pretty amusing lmao. It is pretty weird, but weird is my specialty hahaha! As a friend said, "Who hires someone to be their wife?"**

 **Syaoran, obviously :P**

* * *

The house she arrived at was very large, but that hardly surprised her. Her belongings were being moved inside, but she wasn't sure what to do, so instead she just stared up at the house.

She was a little jealous of how beautiful it was-and everything was so neat! The roses and other blossoms in the front garden, and the neatly trimmed grass.  
She wondered if Syaoran did that all himself, or if it was done by someone else.

"What are you doing?" a familiar voice asked.

She looked over to see Syaoran looking at her with a raised brow. She hadn't even noticed his presence beside her until he'd spoken.

"Er, just admiring your house." She replied awkwardly.

"You're the first one to do that." Syaoran confessed, "My previous...dates all came from a fairly wealthy background."

She tried to ignore the uncomfortable feeling she felt around him. "I lived in a small apartment. It wasn't very interesting."

He chuckled a little. "Oh, I see. Why don't you come inside?"

"Okay." Sakura followed him into the house which was also neatly kept. Beneath her feet were wooden floor boards, though in the rooms was plush green carpet, she noticed.

He led her into the kitchen, "Would you like something to drink?"

"May I have a cup of tea?" she asked.

He nodded and set himself to work. "How was the move here?"

"It was fine-I didn't find anything particularly bothersome." Sakura answered.

"That's good to hear." He smiled, "I'll show you around once everything's been moved in. Are you hungry?"

"Not right now." Sakura answered.

"Alright. Make yourself at home."

"Er...Thank you."

Sakura looked around the kitchen; it was big, with a large preparation space and pantry. The dining table looked like it might be an antique, with its intricate patterns carved into the wood. She thought the same about the chairs, too.

"Here."

She looked back to Syaoran who was holding a hot teacup out for her to take. She took it from his hands and smiled awkwardly.

"Thank you."

"Do you have much family?" he asked in a casual manner.

Sakura sipped her tea. "No-they were all murdered in front of me when I was seven."

Syaoran stared at her with a mixture of complete and utter shock and confusion.

She lowered her teacup. "Did I say something wrong?" she asked, worried.

He was silent for a moment. "You're not pulling my leg, are you?"

She shook her head. "No. I believe I'm standing too far away."

Again, silence. She sipped her tea.

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure what to say..." he murmured, "Did they ever find who did it?"

Sakura nodded. "Yes. But he died shortly after he was sent to prison."

She didn't dare tell him the truth about how the man died. Not only would it blow her cover, but she'd probably be hauled off by the police and interrogated about several other murders.

"I see."

More silence.

"Err...do your family live in Japan?" she asked, hoping to keep the conversation going.

"No, they live back in Hong Kong. I moved here on my own." He explained.

"Wouldn't they need you to stay there?" she asked, tilting her head slightly in confusion.

He smiled. "I made the excuse it was to establish business roots here."

She furrowed her brow, "So that's not the reason?"

He shook his head. "In a family as big as mine, sometimes it can feel suffocating. There are so many expectations coming from all directions, and it's hard to keep up. So, I moved here to get some fresh air." Syaoran explained.

"That's understandable. There have been times where I've felt that I need to get away..." Sakura trailed off.

He watched her gently but didn't press any further. She looked lost, almost sad. Sakura finished off the last of her tea and he took the cup from her and put it in the sink.

"Come with me."

Sakura followed him as he led her down the hall, opening a door to what she assumed was his work space. She spotted boxes of minerals and crystals and various metals, along with many tools and machines.

"Is this your workspace?" She asked.

He nodded, "Yes. This is where I spend most of my time."

His work bench was covered with shattered pieces of crystal and he looked to be making some kind of light emitting device.

"You'll be assisting me with some projects, as well as looking after the paper work." He explained. "When you're not working in here, you'll be in the study just down the hall to your right."

Sakura nodded, "What do you need me to do with the paperwork?"

Syaoran led her out of the workspace and closed the door before heading towards the study he had mentioned moments ago.

He twisted the door knob and pushed it open to reveal a clean, neat office with a large desk, bookshelves full of various texts, and what she guessed to be a filing cabinet. Sitting on the desk was a computer monitor and a printer. Sitting beside the printer was a very tall pile of paper.

Syaoran walked over to the desk and tapped the pile. "These are all orders that need to be filed. Some are returning customers, so find the file in the cabinet that matches the customer's name and place a copy of the order inside the file. The other copy needs to come to me."

Sakura nodded her understanding.

"Sometimes I get orders through email, other times it's by phone call. You'll need to organise them as well."

"I think I can handle that pretty well. I did something similar once a few years back." Sakura said with a smile.

Syaoran looked both surprised and relieved. "That's good to know. So, it shouldn't take you too long to pick it up, then."

She nodded again, "I hope so."

"Saturdays and Sundays are our free days. I'd like to spend one of our free days together, since we're..."

"Dating?" she finished with her usual smile, the smile she put on for show.

"Yes. Dating." He murmured. Clearing his throat, Syaoran moved to leave the study.

"Upstairs is where the bedrooms are." He said as he made his way to the staircase.

She followed him up and spotted three doors. He led her to the one at the end, "This is your room. Feel free to unpack your belongings when you like. I can help as well."

"Thank you, I'd like that."

He smiled, "Alright, then how about we get started?"

...

Sakura hanged the last of her clothes in the wardrobe as Syaoran set the last of her few books on the small shelf by her bed.

"I didn't know you were into the fantasy genre." He said casually.

"I don't think it ever came up in conversation." Sakura replied.

He laughed a little. "You're right, it didn't."

Sakura walked over to him and nodded to the five books she owned. "I haven't actually read those...they were my mum's favourite books. My dad was into anything and everything to do with history." She explained, "Mum used to read these to me." She smiled softly at the memory.

"Do you remember what the stories are about?" he asked curiously.

"Hmm...I remember bits and pieces, but not a lot."

Syaoran smiled. "Maybe you should read them. I'm sure it would make your mother happy."

Sakura stared at the books with an unreadable expression, making Syaoran wonder what was going through her mind.

Sakura wasn't sure why she'd never read them. She had been trained to feel no emotion, trained how to fake them, and yet she still felt sad whenever she saw those books. Sometimes, she'd find herself crying when she held one or looked at them.  
It wasn't until she'd met Tomoyo that she figured out why, learned that it was because she missed her mother so dearly.

"I didn't realise how late it was," Syaoran murmured, looking at his watch. "I better get started on dinner. I'll leave you to finish up on your things."

"Sure." Sakura replied, "There's not much to do anyway."

"Okay. See you downstairs." He smiled, and then left her alone in the room.

Once she was sure he was gone, she left her room to figure out which of the other rooms belonged to Syaoran. She needed to know for future reference, for when she would finally kill him. She needed to learn his everyday routine and schedule, everything that would allow her to plan accordingly.

She walked to the room closest to her, the room next to hers, and opened the door. She glanced around. It definitely looked lived in, she noticed, spotting multiple books on a shelf and one sitting on the bedside table. She stepped inside and looked around, spotting the door to the en-suite she guessed connected to her room. He had a chest of draws and a wardrobe, as well.

Deciding she'd seen enough, Sakura left the room, closing the door behind her, and walked around the rest of the second floor. She didn't find much except for another spare room which had nothing in it except for piles of boxes she assumed were just storage.

Further down, she found another bathroom and an open space which didn't have much furniture in it except for a couch and lamp. The large windows overlooked a huge backyard with a beautiful garden and large cherry blossom tree. There was a pool as well, and pretty pink petals were floating on the water's surface.

Deciding she'd seen enough, Sakura headed back down the carpeted stairs.

Syaoran looked up from cutting vegetables and smiled. "Finding your way around okay?" he asked.

Sakura nodded, "Yes, I think I'll be okay for the most part."

"Good to hear."

She stood in an awkward silence, wondering what she should do, while Syaoran was busy making dinner.

"Would you like any help...?" she asked, unsure of what to do with herself.

He shook his head, "No, I'm fine."

Sakura nodded and looked around. She decided to sit down at the table, though she wasn't sure how to make conversation in the meantime.  
 _'I'm going to lose my new job well before I have the chance to kill him.'_ She thought grimly. _'The only hope I have is to take the relationship seriously.'_

"Are you nervous about this arrangement?" Syaoran's voice cut through her thoughts.

Sakura looked up with surprise. "Oh...A little. Actually, a lot." She blurted out.

She looked a little startled by her own confession, not expecting it herself. Syaoran watched her for a moment, looking a little lost in thought.

"Well, if I do something that makes you uncomfortable in any way, tell me. Or if anything bothers you-anything at all, then please feel free to tell me about it." He spoke calmly.

"Okay..." Sakura frowned in thought. She remembered a while ago that Tomoyo had told her communication in a relationship was extremely important, and it had to go both ways. "Then...you'll do the same, right?"

"Yes, of course." He replied with a small hint of surprise.

Sakura gave him a small smile. And then they fell into another awkward silence.

 _'I suck at this.'_ She thought lamely and wished Tomoyo had given her at least _some_ advice.

"I know you've only just moved in today, and I'd like to give you time to settle in, but do you mind starting work tomorrow?" Syaoran asked, feeling a little guilty.

"Sure, I don't mind." Sakura replied. She actually felt kind of relieved to be able to start working so soon. It would give her something to do, instead of idly sitting around the house doing nothing.

"Thank you. I really appreciate it." He said gratefully.

Sakura made a mental note to set an alarm-or five-to get herself up in the morning. "Do you happen to have any spare alarm clocks lying around?" she blurted out.

He raised his brow. "Um...no, I don't. Sorry."

Sakura's face turned bright red and she fidgeted with her hands. "S-sorry, I just blurted out a weird question."

He chuckled. "It's alright. You don't need to feel embarrassed."

She smiled awkwardly. "So...uh...what are you making?" she asked in a desperate attempt to divert the conversation away from the alarm clocks.

"Fried rice. It's simple." He shrugged.

She nodded, "Sounds great. I uh...can't really cook."

 _'Now you've done it, Sakura you moron!'_

"Really? Didn't anyone ever teach you? Like foster parents?" he asked curiously.

"No...I was basically on my own." Sakura answered.

"Well...if you want, I don't mind teaching you." He offered.

"That sounds like fun." She smiled, "I hope I don't make too much of a mess."

Syaoran smiled with amusement. "You'll be fine."

Sakura hoped that was true.

...

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Smack!

Sakura groaned and rolled over.

BEEP BEEP BEEP.

Clunk.

Irritated, Sakura opened her eyes and spotted the annoying device that was so intent on not letting her sleep. It was seven-thirty, and she was supposed to start her work at nine.  
Sakura loathed waking up early. It was hard enough even on the best of days.

She found her phone and checked it for messages, finding nothing in her inbox, so she threw back the covers and stood up to stretch.  
She walked over to the curtains and opened them wide, the early morning sunlight shining brightly.

Sakura smiled and then proceeded to get dressed in a pale-yellow dress Tomoyo had given her as a gift one year, with a brown belt around her waist. She brushed her hair and braided some of it before slipping her feet into a pair of brown pumps. Then, she headed downstairs.

Syaoran was already in the kitchen drinking a hot cup of coffee. He looked up from the table and smiled.

"Good morning." He greeted.

She returned the smile. "Good morning. Is it alright if I...?"

"Please, help yourself." Syaoran replied.

Sakura walked over to the kettle and boiled the water to make herself a cup of tea.

"The tea and coffee are in the top shelf, and the cups are in the one next to it." Syaoran explained.

"Ah-thank you." She replied.

She opened the cupboard to find several different flavours of tea and picked whatever was closest to her. The label said it was mango and peach.  
She shrugged. It would do.

"There's eggs in the fridge, if you're interested, or there's cereal and bread for toast." He told her as he drank his coffee.

She decided on toast. It didn't take her long to find the bread and spreads, and she soon joined him at the table with her breakfast and tea.

"Nervous?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, just tired."

He furrowed his brow. "Did you not sleep well?"

"I slept fine. I'm just really bad at waking up." She confessed.

Syaoran laughed. "Oh, I see."

"Mornings are the worst..." Sakura sighed softly.

Syaoran continued to smile. "Have you always struggled with mornings?"

She nodded. "Yeah. The person who raised me used to scold me often for waking up late."

Syaoran raised his brow. "Were you taken in by a relative?"

Sakura shook her head. She wasn't sure what to tell him. "A... family friend took me in."

"That was really kind of them." Syaoran smiled. "Do you still see them often?"

She shook her head. "They died a while back."

Syaoran blinked with surprise. "I'm sorry to hear that..."

They fell into an awkward silence. Sakura searched for something to say, but she wasn't good with making conversation.

"Um-I'm okay and all... I have this really great friend I spend a lot of time with." She blurted out.

Syaoran smiled and relaxed. "Really? What's their name?" he asked.

"Her name's Tomoyo. She's a really talented opera singer-you should go to one of her concerts sometime." Sakura replied with a small smile.

"Wait-do you mean Tomoyo Daidouji? She's pretty famous." Syaoran said.

She nodded, "The one and only."

He looked at her sceptically.

"Did I say something wrong?" she asked.

"No, of course not. I just find it a little difficult to believe is all." He confessed.

She pulled out her phone and fiddled with it for a moment, and then turned it so Syaoran could see the screen. It was a photo of herself and Tomoyo together, both eating ice cream.

"Is that strawberry ice cream?" he asked.

Sakura nodded. "It's my favourite."

"Well, maybe we should go to one of her concerts together and then get ice cream afterwards." Syaoran smiled.

Sakura nodded again, "I'll ask her when her next gig is. Are you okay with me visiting her on some weekends?"

"Of course-I don't expect you to stop seeing your friends. Just let me know so we can plan around it." Syaoran smiled.

Sakura felt surprised. Her previous partners hadn't liked her visiting her friend for whatever reason. She had assumed he would be the same. "Thanks."

He stood, "I'm going to go start my work now. I'll see you at lunch."

Sakura nodded and Syaoran headed off down the hall to his workspace.  
She finished the last of her tea and the last of her toast, placed her dishes in the sink and then headed down to the office to begin her days work.

Sakura wasted no time in starting to organise the stack of orders on the desk. She worked on photocopying the orders first, making her way halfway through the pile before she was distracted by a knock at the door.

"Yes?" she called out.

The door opened and Syaoran stepped inside, holding a plate of sandwiches.

"How are you doing?" he asked, nodding towards the stacks of paper.

"I think I'm doing okay. I'm halfway through photocopying, so I'll bring in the orders to you when they're all done, and then start filing the copies." Sakura answered.

He smiled, "That's great," he said, "Are you hungry, by any chance?"

Her stomach growled loudly, and she felt her cheeks turn pink. Syaoran chuckled.

"Here," he said, handing her the plate.

She took it and smiled. "Thank you. I might take a break now."

"Good idea." He replied.

"Have you been looking for someone to take care of this work for long?" Sakura asked.

He grimaced. "About five months..." he replied.

"Oh." She said, "It must have been hard doing so much by yourself..."

He shook his head. "My cousin, Meiling, was helping out for a while. She had to return home to look after her husband though. He's quite ill with cancer."

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Sakura murmured.

"Where did you used to work before this?" he suddenly asked.

"I worked in a book store." She answered. It wasn't a lie-she had worked in a bookstore across from the building where a politician worked, and she had assassinated him with ease.

"Which one?" he asked.

"The small family run business across from a government building in Tokyo. Alice's Books, it was called." Sakura answered.

"Ah. I'm not familiar with the store. May I ask why you left...?"

Syaoran looked a bit unsure if he should have asked that question, but Sakura shrugged.

"It was a temporary position until the owner got better. She's a really kind person-I wonder what she's gotten up to these past few months..." Sakura trailed off.

Syaoran nodded in understanding. "That would make sense."

"Sorry if this sounds rude, but... shouldn't you be getting back to work?" Sakura asked with an amused smile.

Syaoran looked up at the clock and cringed. "Ugh, you're right." He sighed as he stood, and then left the room.

Sakura finished off the last half of her sandwich and then returned to her own work, continuing with the incredibly boring task of photocopying orders.

...

When Sakura finally looked up at the clock, she found it was five thirty and her working day was supposed to finish at five. With a soft sigh, she turned the computer off and left her work to be continued the next day.

She stood and left the room but could hear that Syaoran was still working. Without thinking much about it, she meandered into the kitchen and made herself a hot cup of coffee. She was tired and hungry. It had been a long day, and photocopying orders wasn't exactly interesting, either.

"I wonder what he's working on..." she mumbled aloud.

"It's a magic detector." Came the reply.

Sakura let out a little yelp of surprise and span around to see Syaoran. Her heart was pounding.

"You scared me," she breathed.

He smiled a little. "Sorry, I didn't mean to."

She leant back against the bench.

"So...a magic detector?"

He nodded. "It does exactly as its name implies. It acts as a sort of security system, I suppose."

"Oh-that makes sense."

Syaoran smiled, "They're annoying to make sometimes. One small mistake and it can end up a nightmare."

Sakura raised her brow. "That doesn't sound pleasant at all."

"Nope."

"How is it going?" Sakura asked.

He shrugged a little. "It's going well, I think."

She smiled, "That's good."

Syaoran sighed heavily. "Want to watch a movie after dinner?"

"Sure, why not." She smiled.

"Okay-I'll let you choose what to watch." He returned her smile.

Sakura wondered what type of movies he had and hoped she didn't accidentally pick out a horror flick. She hated horror.

...

After they had both eaten dinner, the two made themselves comfortable in the lounge room. Sadly, Sakura had managed to somehow pick out the only horror movie Syaoran owned and was holding one of the cushions so tight it might tear.

"Are you alright?" Syaoran asked for the third time.

Sakura smiled. "I'm fine-why do you ask?"

He raised his brow. "You're hugging that cushion as if you're life depended on it."

Sakura looked down and found that he was right.

"I'm fine." She insisted, though jumped when a loud thud sounded from the movie.

He looked at her sceptically for a long moment but turned his attention back to the screen.

Sakura was relieved when it was finally over, though she was still shaking.

Syaoran had noticed it fairly early on in the movie, but just to be sure... "You really don't like horror movies, do you?"

"How did you know?" she asked.

"You're pretty obvious, you know. Jumping at every sound, you're still shaking, and you shielded your eyes from what was on the screen multiple times." He stated.

Sakura was surprised she was so obvious, and it annoyed her.

"Okay, you got me. I loathe them." She muttered.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of." He said with a small laugh.

"It's...embarrassing."

"Why?" He asked. "Everyone's afraid of something. It's what makes us human."

"Yeah but most people are afraid of heights or death or something like that, not the spirit world!" She complained.

"I don't think it's silly at all. It's probably pretty wise to be afraid of them." Syaoran said.

She looked at him with confusion. "You think so? It's not childish?"

He frowned. "No. Why would it be childish?"

She felt her cheeks warm and looked away. "I don't know..."

Syaoran watched her for a moment, and then noticed the clock. "It's pretty late. We should head to bed."

Sakura glanced at the clock to find it was a quarter past eleven.

"Yeah, you're right." She said and stood.

"See you tomorrow morning, then." He smiled.

She nodded, "Goodnight." She said, and then quickly made her way upstairs to her room.

She shut the door, heart pounding in her chest. She didn't understand what was going on in her head anymore. She never used to be so obvious! Never! She was sure she had buried her feelings a long time ago, but ever since she had met him...

"What the hell is wrong with me?" she murmured to herself.

She had only been with him for two days, known him for a week and a bit, and already there was something going on between them that she didn't quite understand. What the hell was it?

* * *

 **Sakura: help, i'm FEELING!**

 **How did you like this chapter? They go on their first date in chapter four. Nothing overly intimate, just a cute lil date. Now i'm gunna crawl out of bed and feed myself. See you in a few days!**


	3. Chapter 3

The rest of the week passed quickly for Sakura. She'd managed to get through all the paperwork quickly, much to Syaoran's surprise, and even had the copies of the orders filed by the end of Friday.

Though...Sakura was still struggling with understanding the change that was already starting within her, so she turned to the person who knew her best.

She and Tomoyo had agreed to go out for lunch on Saturday. Sakura sat in the cafe they had agreed on, staring at the menu. Tomoyo still had yet to arrive.

Syaoran was spending the day training, or so he had mentioned the night before. She had no idea what he meant by training. She assumed he was referring to personal training, like having a personal trainer come to the house instead of going to the gym.

She nibbled her lip, trying to decide on what she wanted.

"Gee Sakura, if you keep glaring at that menu any longer, you'll burn a hole through it."

Sakura looked up to see her best friend. Tomoyo was dressed in a pair of jeans and a pretty violet top with long sleeves and a v-cut neck. The back of the top had black ribbon lacing it up. Her long dark hair fell down over her shoulders, and she wore black sunglasses.

"Hey Tomoyo." Sakura sighed.

Tomoyo crooked her brow as she sat down. "You seem...hmm. Confused."

Sakura groaned.

"You always get the Strawberry shortcake. Are you going for something different this time?" Tomoyo asked.

"Well...I thought maybe there might be something that would interest me. But there isn't." Sakura mumbled.

Tomoyo giggled. "Good, because I've already placed our order."

Sakura placed the menu back in the middle of the table and Tomoyo removed her sunglasses. "So, what's on your mind?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"It's about Syaoran." Sakura confessed.

"Oh?"

"Ever since the first time we met, I've been...so confused! Usually I'm not bothered by anything, but lately..." Sakura trailed off, and then looked at Tomoyo desperately. "What's _wrong_ with me, Tomoyo?"

Tomoyo looked at her friend with surprise, and then giggled. "Oh sweetie, there's nothing wrong with you in the slightest." She said.

Sakura frowned. "But...the other night we watched a horror film, and it scared the living daylights out of me!"

"Ah, so you _do_ still remember emotions." Tomoyo smiled.

"Huh?"

"Ever since we met, you claimed you forgot how to feel emotions, but that's not really true. You felt fear watching that movie." She pointed out.

Sakura stared at her friend. "I-I'm feeling emotions again? But-that's not good Tomoyo! That's terrible!"

Tomoyo shook her head. "No, I don't think so. It's probably a lot better for you."

Sakura squirmed in her seat.

"If you had no emotions, you wouldn't order strawberry shortcake every time you went out to a cafe or bakery." Tomoyo said. "You know what I mean, right?"

She sighed heavily. "Whatever."

The waitress came over and placed a slice of Sakura's favourite cake down in front of her, along with a hot chocolate for her and Tomoyo.

"So, what's happening with you and Syaoran?" Tomoyo asked curiously, sipping her drink.

"What do you mean?"

"How's things going between the two of you?" she elaborated.

Sakura shrugged. "I don't know. He...seems kind."

Tomoyo watched her curiously.

"It feels like he's hiding something, but it's not my place to ask." Sakura murmured.

"So, you are both working for him and dating, right?"

Sakura nodded.

"Okay. So, do you like him?"

"Well I don't hate him. He makes me feel embarrassed a lot."

"You make it sound like you don't hate him _because_ he makes you feel embarrassed." Tomoyo giggled.

"No, that's not what I mean..." Sakura groaned.

"It's good that you don't hate him. I hope things go well for the two of you." She smiled.

Sakura frowned, but didn't question her.

"Have you guys gone on a date yet?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"We're going to the aquarium tomorrow." Sakura answered.

"Aquarium? Why?"

Sakura shrugged. "I haven't been in a long time."

Tomoyo burst into a fit of giggles.

"What? What is it?"

Tomoyo shook her head, "Oh, it's nothing." Then, she gasped. "Have you picked out an outfit yet?"

"Uh, no?"

"Right-after we're finished here, we're going shopping." Tomoyo declared.

"Shopping? Why?" Sakura asked.

"To get you a cute outfit for tomorrow! You have to look your best on your date." Her friend insisted.

Sakura sighed. There was no point arguing once Tomoyo had her mind made up.

…

Sakura dragged her exhausted self through the door with her new shopping bags and slumped herself into a seat at the table in the kitchen. Syaoran, having heard her come in, walked out from the lounge room to greet her.

When he saw her slumped over the table, he raised his brow. "Wow-are you okay?" he asked.

"Shopping with Tomoyo is exhausting..." she groaned.

"So, I can see. What did you buy?" Syaoran asked as he walked over to the kettle to boil the water. He pulled out a mug and some tea and started making her a hot drink.

"Clothes-as if I don't have enough of those already. And a pair of shoes." Sakura answered.

He laughed a little, "Ah, I see."

She sighed, "But, it was fun, I guess."

"That's all that really matters." Syaoran smiled. He walked over and placed the mug of hot tea down in front of her. She blushed a little as she took it.

"Thank you..."

Syaoran smiled and took a seat across from her. "I'm really impressed with how quickly you got through all of that paperwork this week." He said, "No one else has ever gotten through a pile that big in just a few days before."

"Really? It was a fairly mindless task..." Sakura murmured.

He laughed. "Yes, I guess so. I'll need your help in the workshop this coming week-there's a lot to do."

"I just hope I don't make it harder for you." Sakura said without thinking.

"You'll be able to handle it, I think." He replied. She looked at him with surprise.  
He continued, "You got through all of that paperwork efficiently, so I'm sure you'll be okay."

She smiled a little, "I hope so."  
A warm feeling surfaced in her chest, and her mind returned to her conversation with Tomoyo earlier that day. Tomoyo had said it would be good for her to remember emotions, but...

"What's on your mind?" Syaoran distracted her.

"Are emotions a good thing to have?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran did a double take. Did he hear that right? Was she messing with him?

"I... always thought that they would hinder me, keep me from my fullest potential..." she confessed.

Syaoran stayed silent as he watched her carefully for a minute. She seemed to be quite serious, and he could tell that she wasn't just playing a joke on him. He sighed softly.

"Emotions allow us to connect with others and understand others. So, I think they're definitely important to have." He replied. "Why do you think they'd be a hindrance?"

Sakura lowered her eyes. "If I get hurt, I might not be able to work well. And if I'm happy, I might not be able to work well either..."

He didn't know what it was, but something in Sakura's words screamed alarm bells in Syaoran's mind. He knew that there must have been something in Sakura's past to make her think such things, but he didn't feel comfortable asking her just yet. After all, they'd only been living together for a week.

"Everyone experiences those sorts of things occasionally. It's pretty normal." He smiled. "They aren't always pleasant, but that's why we have people that support us."

Sakura nodded. "Are they also what makes us human?"

"Of course." He replied.

She smiled awkwardly, "Sorry for springing that weird question on you. It was weird."

"Don't apologise about it." Syaoran said, "If you ever need to talk about anything, I'm happy to listen."

Sakura blushed. "Thank you...really."

"Of course."

Sakura looked down at her bags and quickly finished her tea. "I should go put these away. I'll be back down shortly." She stood and picked up the bags, heading upstairs to her room.

She shut the door and walked over to her bed, placing the bags down. She pulled out her new clothes and her foot knocked a box under her bed when she went to walk over to the wardrobe, distracting her.

"Shit!" she cursed under her breath.

She dumped the clothes on her bed in favour of picking up the box and opened it quickly. Inside were multiple passports and licenses Sakura used in her line of work. She'd forgotten all about them.

 _'How could I be so careless!?'_

If Syaoran ever found them, she'd be screwed!

She made a mental note to hide them somewhere obscure, so he wouldn't find them. But for now, they would stay under the bed.

After putting her clothes away, Sakura headed back downstairs to sit with Syaoran in the lounge room. They were watching the news-nothing interesting-but neither of them really spoke. It wasn't until there was a report about a child going missing that Sakura made a noise of horror.

"Sakura...?" Syaoran murmured.

The report went on to say that the child's family had been murdered beforehand, and that the police were looking for any source of information as to who would take the child, or their whereabouts. Sakura knew who it was. She had been through it herself.

"Sakura, are you okay?" Syaoran asked with concern.

Throat dry, Sakura stood. "I... I'm sorry, I need to call someone." She left the room and quickly headed upstairs to her bedroom.

Syaoran watched her, concern twisting knots in his stomach. She had said that her parents had been murdered in front of her, so maybe seeing a report about a child had triggered something. He wondered if he should follow after her, or if he should give her some space.

He didn't feel comfortable intruding on such subjects just yet-hell, he didn't even know if this relationship was going to work out. But, if he wanted it to work out, he would have to work with her to make it work. And that was exactly what he would do.

Sakura shut the door and immediately pulled out her mobile phone to dial the number that had been on the television moments earlier. It rang once, and someone answered.

"Yes, how may we help you?" came a woman's voice.

"Hi, I think I might have some information about the people who kidnapped the child-the case where his family was murdered." Sakura said.

She wasn't sure what compelled her to do this. She was betraying the people she worked under. But if this child could be saved from this life of hell, then she didn't care.

"Yes?"

She swallowed hard. "I saw a child being taken into an abandoned warehouse behind the shopping district-uhm, Gale road, if I remember correctly. The child looked like the little boy shown on the news..."

"Alright, can we get your name and-"

Sakura hung up before they could finish. She gripped her phone tightly in her hands, shaking. She prayed that child would be okay.

The warehouse she had mentioned was a place that her superiors took the children they kidnapped and started training them to be assassins. She had been there herself. And she tried to never think about it.

…

Once she was calm again, Sakura returned to the lounge room. She smiled awkwardly at Syaoran who was watching her carefully.

"Sorry for worrying you...I guess I kind of freaked, having been through the same thing." She said.

"No, don't apologise. I understand why you're so worried." He smiled gently. "I hope he's found soon."

Sakura nodded, "I hope so too."

Syaoran stood, "Well, I better start making dinner."

"Okay." She replied.

She sat in the lounge room, watching the rest of the news-well, not necessarily watching it, but more like letting it sit there in the background. Her mind was chaos. Why did her superiors do this to young children? They didn't deserve it!  
Sakura clenched her fists thinking about the poor boy. What would happen to him once he was found-IF he was found?  
Sakura frowned. Would he go into the foster care system? She had heard that the foster care system could be terrible…

Suddenly, she blinked. Why was she so worried? This wasn't like her at all.  
She stood and walked to the kitchen entrance, watching as Syaoran moved about with such finesse. Once her job was done, she would go back to normal.  
That, she was sure of.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Thank you for all of your reviews. So, next chapter is their very first date! Sakura's never been on a "real" date before, so what do you think she'll do? Will it go terribly wrong or be entertaining for both sides? You'll have to wait and find out ;)**

 **Reviews will be appreciated 3 see you again soon!**


	4. Chapter 4

Here's **the chapter! Enjoy!**

* * *

They caught the train into the city; it wasn't overly uncomfortable, and Sakura had experienced worse in the past.

She looked over at Syaoran who seemed to be busy reading a book; he was dressed in jeans, a plain t-shirt and a green hoodie, and Sakura couldn't help but think he looked good. He glanced up and caught her staring, and he smiled with amusement as her face turned bright red and she looked away quickly.  
She watched the scenery pass by to distract herself, but she could still feel his amber gaze on her.

Syaoran knew he was sexually attracted to this woman beside him ever since he'd first met her. While she was a little odd-scratch that, she was very odd-he also thought she could be quite cute.

It wasn't until she had looked away that he'd really noticed her outfit-a soft, rose pink halter neck dress with white polka-dots on it, and a pair of brown pumps on her feet. She wore a creme cardigan over the top of her dress to keep her from getting too cold.  
She was very pretty.  
She turned her head and met his eyes, and he realised he'd been caught staring. He quickly looked away, feeling a little embarrassed himself.

They got off at their stop. The Aquarium wasn't a long walk from the station, and thankfully the line to get in wasn't long either.

They walked around for a while-the tanks were full of colourful fish of all different species, as well as brightly coloured sea slugs and other fascinating sea life. Sakura stared at the fish, and she felt a little sad.

"Pretty, aren't they?" Syaoran murmured.

"Yeah... Though it must be kind of sad, being locked up in these tanks just to be watched." Sakura murmured.

"That's one way to look at it." He smiled.

"You don't think the same?" she asked.

He shrugged. "I've never given it much thought, to be honest, but I'd have to say that at least they're safe from predators."

"I'd at least like the chance to explore, if it were me." She smiled, "Though it might be a little scary at first."

"That's true." Syaoran replied thoughtfully, "I think it's important to be able to explore freely."

Sakura wished she'd had that kind of freedom.

"It's not too late to break free... whatever it is that you need to break free from." He spoke softly. She looked up at him with surprise, and then smiled softly.

They continued through the exhibit and took a break for lunch. Sakura ended up choosing a slice of strawberry shortcake over a pie or sandwiches for lunch.

"You really shouldn't favour sweets over eating something proper." Syaoran said.

She smiled, "Maybe, but it's kind of hard to turn down strawberry shortcake."

He laughed.

"Maybe if we're going out, we should just bring lunch." Sakura mumbled.

"Good idea." Syaoran agreed with a small laugh.

"Woah Sakura, is that really you?" a voice sounded from nearby.

Sakura looked up to see her ex-boyfriend looking rather surprised. The man frowned when he realised she was with someone else.

"Gee, you sure moved on quickly." He spat.

"You're the one who broke it off, Jun. Why are you so upset?" Sakura murmured uncomfortably as she pushed her cake around her plate with the fork. Syaoran could easily tell she was uncomfortable from her posture and facial expression.

"So, what-I wasn't good enough?"

The man stepped forward to grab her arm, but Syaoran caught his hand before he could. The two men glared at each other for a moment until Jun pulled his arm from Syaoran's grasp.

"Tsk, you should get out of it soon, buddy. She's as emotionless as a brick wall." Jun snorted.

"If she was so emotionless, then why is she so uncomfortable?" Syaoran retorted quickly.

Sakura's eyes widened in surprise. Jun rolled his eyes and walked away, leaving the pair in silence.

"Sorry...I didn't think we'd run into any of my ex's here." She apologised quietly.

"It's fine. He seems like a bit of an ass, though."

"Maybe...I don't know how to tell." Sakura said before sticking a chunk of cake in her mouth.

Syaoran wondered what she meant by that but decided not to ask. She would tell him, if she wanted to.

"Tomoyo always did say that I sucked with picking out decent guys, though." She added.

He furrowed his brow, "Did she say what was wrong with them?"

"I think it was something along the lines of how they don't respect women. She seemed to like Jun though."

"Sorry if this sounds rude, but can I ask why the two of you broke it off?" he asked.

"He got tired of me, that's all. I wasn't overly torn, though. All he did was yell at me and hit me when we weren't having sex." She said as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

Syaoran felt horrified that she had been treated such a way-worse was that she acted as if it were normal. He felt angry-angry at the people who had treated her so poorly.

"Sakura..."

"Sorry-that was weird to say. Anyway, I saw a sign about the penguin show earlier. It looked kind of cute." She went on to say, eager to get off the topic.

"Sakura, I promise I will never hurt you that way." Syaoran said seriously. "I swear it."

She stared at him with surprise, her fork still in her mouth. She hadn't expected to hear that from him, and it confused her a little as to why he looked so torn up over something that had happened to her.

She swallowed her cake and set the fork back down on the empty plate. "Okay."

They both finished eating in an uncomfortable silence. Sakura stared at her empty plate, wondering why on earth Jun was so annoyed with her for being with someone else. He was the one who broke it off.  
He was the one who had treated her like a tool.  
She sighed softly.

"Do you still want to go?" Syaoran asked.

Her eyes snapped up to meet his questioning ones. "Sorry, what?"

"The penguin show? You wanted to go, right?"

Her eyes widened, "Oh! Yes-if you don't mind."

He smiled, "Let's go, then."

Neither of them brought the topic of Sakura's previous partners back up for the rest of the day. Instead they focused on enjoying themselves-Sakura really enjoyed seeing the penguins. Since she'd never been to an Aquarium before, it was her first time seeing such a show.

As they were waiting for the train home, Sakura looked at the photo's she'd been able to get with the penguins. Syaoran watched her with a soft gaze as she smiled and hummed a cheerful little tune to herself.

"Hey, check out that girl in the pink dress..."

Syaoran frowned and looked around for the source, spotting a pair of two men eyeing Sakura like candy. He made a mental note to keep a close eye on them and returned his attention to Sakura.

"I'll have to show these to Tomoyo next time I see her." Sakura said.

"That's a good idea." He replied, "Do you get to see her often?"

Sakura nodded, "We organise to meet up at least once a month, sometimes more, depending on her schedule."

"She sounds like a really good friend." He smiled.

"Don't you have any close friends?" she asked curiously.

"Hmm...Yeah, I guess." He shrugged.

"You sound like you're not very sure about that." She replied flatly.

He laughed. "He's a distant relative, but we're pretty close I suppose. I also have another friend-he's married, but we keep in touch."

"That must be nice. Do you get to see them often?"

He shook his head. "Eriol lives in England, and I'm always so busy with work so I don't get to go out much. We usually only see each other at gatherings."

Sakura looked up from her pictures and smiled. "It's good that you still get to see each other though."

"That's true. Though...they can be kind of annoying."

"Annoying? Why?"

"Eriol's sly. He's always got something planned." Syaoran muttered irritably.

"Sounds like he and Tomoyo would be great friends." Sakura laughed.

The train pulled up and the doors opened. Sakura and Syaoran stepped into the packed carriage, and the two men from earlier were standing behind Sakura.

"She likes planning things too, huh?"

"More or less, yes."

He laughed, "They would definitely be good friends."

Syaoran spotted the two men whispering to each other as they glanced at Sakura, acting as if he weren't there. They shifted closer to where he and Sakura were standing near the door, and as the train jolted a little, one of them "fell" into Sakura and groped her.

Sakura yelped in surprise and Syaoran gripped the man's wrist tight, his eyes holding a dangerous glint.

"Get away from her. Now." He snarled.

"Come on, man, it was an accident."

"Ah yes, I'm sure your hand just _accidentally_ slid up the front of her dress from behind." Syaoran growled. "Move away."

"It's not my fault her dress is so damn short-ow!"

People were staring now. One woman who was standing nearby and had witnessed the harassment stepped forward. "Her dress isn't that short-its knee length!"

Whispers rose around them. The train came to a stop and the two men quickly got off.

"Thanks for your help." Sakura said gratefully.

"Anytime." He said, "No one deserves to be treated like that."

The train started moving again, catching Sakura by surprise and she lost her balance and fell forward into Syaoran's chest.

He caught her, and she found that his arms were pleasantly warm.

"S-sorry." She blushed, pulling back.

He retracted his arms from around her frame. "It's fine."

They both fell into silence, not saying anything for the rest of the ride back.

…

When they got home, it was early evening. Sakura headed towards the stairs but was stopped by Syaoran grabbing her hand.

"Sakura-are you okay? What happened on the train..." he murmured, eyes full of concern.

Sakura smiled, "I'm fine-it happens. It's not the first time." She said, "I've fallen into people several times while on the train."

"That wasn't what I was talking about. Those men-"

"Oh-right... Really, I'm fine. I'm going to go take a shower before dinner." Sakura said.

"Alright." He replied as he released her hand.

"See you soon." She said cheerfully before bouncing up the stairs.

Syaoran sighed heavily. He wasn't sure what to do.

Sakura stepped under the hot water and sighed blissfully. She allowed the hot water to flow down over her back, relaxing her muscles. She stared at the wall, her mind wandering.

She thought about her day-she had genuinely enjoyed her time out with him. She'd never been on a date like that before, and Syaoran was kind. She could have easily taken care of those men and Jun herself-she knew that-but Syaoran had stepped in. But...he'd looked shocked when she spoke about her previous boyfriends.  
She wondered if she'd said something to upset him.  
She hoped not.

After finishing her shower, she dressed comfortably and headed back down stairs where Syaoran had started making dinner in the kitchen. "Um-Syaoran?"

He looked over and smiled. "What's up?"

"Thank you for today-I had a good time." She smiled softly.

"I did too. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself." He replied.

"I'm looking forward to next week's date." Sakura admitted with a slight blush.

"Is there anywhere you'd like to go?"

"Why don't you choose this time?" she asked.

He blinked in surprise. "Okay, sure."

"Great!"

He watched her as she sat down at the table and pulled out her phone, likely texting her best friend, and he smiled. It had only been a week, but she seemed to be relaxing with each passing day. He hoped it would continue. He was enjoying seeing her smile.

...

Sakura had decided to head to bed early that night, while Syaoran remained in the lounge room for a while longer. There was nothing interesting on TV and he wasn't really paying attention, his mind still stuck on the information he had gotten from Sakura that day.  
She seemed so...unbothered by what had happened to her, or was that just how she coped with it? Geez, he had no idea what to do. He'd never dated a girl like her.

His phone rang, distracting him. He picked it up from the coffee table and spotted the name on the screen.

He sighed softly, "Seems like an odd time for you to be calling."

"Yes, I suppose it is." Eriol spoke.

"Why are you calling?" Syaoran asked.

"Just a feeling. How's your new girlfriend?" Eriol replied casually.

Syaoran sighed heavily. "I'm not sure."

"You're not sure how she is, or you're not sure what you think of her?" Eriol asked.

"I'm not sure how she is." Syaoran murmured.

"You don't like her?"

"No, I like her just fine. She's a little odd, but she's hardworking and gentle." Syaoran murmured.

"Oh? Then what's bothering you?" He asked.

"Er...well..." Syaoran didn't know how to phrase it.

"She's got a rather odd past?" Eriol surmised.

"Yeah, something like that. She just blurts things out like they're normal things that happen every day." Syaoran answered.

"Like what?"

"Her family was murdered in front of her when she was little." Syaoran replied.

"And she just stated it like it was nothing?"

"Yeah."

"Wow. What else happened?"

Syaoran explained to Eriol what had happened on the train and at the aquarium, as well as Sakura's behaviour about it.

Eriol was silent for a long moment. "I see what you mean." Eriol murmured. "From the sounds of it, she puts her emotions at a distance, so she can't feel pain."

"I don't know what to do for her."

"Treat her with respect and be yourself. It's not much, I know, but if you allow her to feel comfortable, she'll warm up to you." Eriol replied.

"Okay..."

"I look forward to meeting her." Eriol added.

Syaoran frowned. "You're coming here?"

"Yes, in a couple months from now."

Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Just let me know beforehand."

"That's exactly what I'm doing." Eriol replied.

"You _know_ what I mean." Syaoran muttered.

Eriol laughed, "Okay, I'll leave you be now. Goodnight."

Before Syaoran could reply, he hung up.

 _'That moron...'_ he thought to himself as he reached over to turn the TV off with the remote.

Once he'd turned the TV off, he stood and turned the lights off before heading upstairs to his own bedroom. He stopped at Sakura's door and gently opened it, finding it was dark inside. Sakura was asleep in her bed, so he left her and continued down to his own room.

* * *

 **Did this chapter give you a little bit more insight into Sakura's character?**


	5. Chapter 5

Sakura found herself sitting in the workshop with Syaoran for most of the next week. He was teaching her about crafting magical objects, most used for typical everyday use, but some were used in festivals and in magic training.

The tool Sakura was handling was very sharp, and the work she was doing was tedious and frustrating, but Syaoran was watching her carefully and would stop her before she did anything wrong.  
Her hand slipped, and the tool cut into her hand holding the stone she'd been working on. Blood started to spill.

"Ow..." she mumbled.

Syaoran immediately covered her wound with a cloth and pulled her over to the sink.

"Does it hurt?" he asked.

"Y-yeah, it does." She replied. "Sorry, I should have been more careful."

"Accidents happen." He murmured. "I've injured myself numerous times with this work."

She allowed him to clean her wounded hand, his own hand holding some gauze into place as they waited for the bleeding to stop.  
In a way, his hands felt comforting.

"Do you think you can still continue with your injured hand?" he asked.

"I'd like to try." Sakura replied, "If you don't mind, that is..."

He smiled, "Sure, but I might guide your hands a bit."

She nodded and returned his smile. "This is really interesting work-I never really considered it before." She then spoke, "I really enjoy it, even if it is a little frustrating at times."

"I've lived with it my entire life. My family's been in this business since long before my parents were even born." He murmured, "So for me it's just normal everyday work."

"So...I guess you didn't really get a chance to look for your own career, huh?" she said.

He grimaced. "Well...I did go to university."

"What were you studying?" she asked curiously.

"Engineering. Though, I had to pull out before I could finish. My dad got sick, so I ended up taking over this business." Syaoran gestured vaguely around him.

"That's incredible." Sakura said.

"What did you study?" he asked as he started bandaging her hand.

"Hm? Oh, I didn't get the chance to go to university." She replied. "I didn't get to go to school, either."

He frowned. "Then..."

"I was taught by the person who took me in. Home-schooled, I guess." She explained.

He smiled with understanding. "I see. If you'd had the chance to study at university, what do you think you'd have done?"

Sakura thought hard. "Hmm...teaching, maybe. I'm not terribly sure."

Syaoran finished bandaging her hand and he let go of it.

"Thank you," she smiled gratefully.

"Ready to get back to work?" he asked.

She nodded.

Sakura sat back down in the chair and Syaoran picked up the tool that was covered in Sakura's blood and tossed it in the bin before grabbing another one out of the draw beside Sakura.

"You keep spares?" she asked, raising her brow.

"Of everything, yeah." He replied. "It's a precaution."

She took the tool from him and held it the same as how he had shown her earlier that day; he reached around her and gently guided her hand while she held the stone in her injured hand.

"Careful not to scratch the stone underneath-that's it."

Sakura followed his guidance, relaxing completely with him.  
Syaoran breathed in the scent of her vanilla and cherry blossom scented perfume, distracting him for a moment.

"Syaoran? What do I do now?" she asked.

He blinked. "Oh-once you've finished removing the outer crust of the stone, you need to carefully sand the remaining bits down. Like this..."

Syaoran demonstrated what she needed to do before letting her try herself, and it continued like that for the rest of the day, and then the rest of the week.

By Sunday, Sakura was totally exhausted. Syaoran had suggested going out for dinner, that way it wouldn't be so exhausting, and they went out to do the grocery shopping together in the afternoon.

Sakura liked snacking on fruit throughout her work day, so they bought a few different fruits, along with various other needs.  
Sakura very casually picked up a packet of pads, not really caring that Syaoran was there at all, and placed them in the basket.  
Then, they carried on.

They returned home and started putting the shopping away, and as Sakura turned to head up stairs, Syaoran called out her name. "Sakura-wait!"

She turned around and he tossed something across the kitchen. She caught it and realised it was her pads.

"Ah-thank you." She said and then hurried up the stairs with a slightly red face, while Syaoran laughed.

They spent the rest of the day mainly cleaning the house before they went out for their date. Syaoran had chosen a nice, softly lit Italian restaurant. Gentle music played in the background. They took a seat by the window, and the waitress set two menus down on the table for them.

"Can I get you any drinks?" she asked.

Sakura watched as the woman eyed Syaoran with obvious interest.

"Just water, please." They both said at the same time.

"Of course." The waitress winked and left to get the two a jug of water and some cups.

Sakura smiled as she opened the menu. "She obviously has an interest in you." She said.

"Oh well. I'm currently taken by someone else." He replied with amusement.

Sakura felt her cheeks warm and she quickly glanced down at her menu; she looked up to see he was looking at his own menu as well, and his eyes lifted from the page to lock with hers.  
His lips curved up into a knowing smile and she quickly looked down at her menu again, embarrassed she'd been caught.

The waitress returned with the promised jug of water and cups and set them down on the table. "Are you ready to order?" she asked.

Syaoran looked to Sakura and she recited what she wanted, and Syaoran followed.

"Great-I'll bring them to you when they're ready." She smiled.

"Thank you." Syaoran replied and then returned his attention to Sakura.

"So...um...you seem used to having women flirt with you." Sakura blurted out, and then froze. "Oh god-I'm so sorry-"

Syaoran laughed. "You're not wrong."

Sakura felt completely and utterly embarrassed. "S-sorry..."

Syaoran looked rather amused. "It's quite alright." He replied.

"You wouldn't have any trouble finding someone, so why do what you did?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran shrugged. "I needed someone who was aware of magic-and someone I could work with. My previous partners weren't exactly helpful." He confessed.

She looked confused. "What did they do?"

"Well...they didn't so much want to work as they wanted to have sex." He shrugged.

Sakura burst into a fit of giggles. "Ah," she giggled, "That must have been frustrating for you."

"It was annoying, to be more accurate." He replied, smiling.

"I'd never even think of trying to do that-I mean, look at my hand." She held up her bandaged hand. "I think we'd both end up injured."

"That's probably true." He chuckled. "How is your hand, by the way?"

"It's healing fine! I think I can take the bandage off later this week." She replied.

He smiled, "Great." He said, "So is that outfit one you bought while you were out shopping last week with your friend?"

"The top is, but nothing else." She replied. _'Nothing except my underwear and bra, though.'_ She thought silently to herself.

"It looks really nice on you." He said.

"I'm lucky I have Tomoyo," Sakura smiled, "Otherwise I would be a fashion disaster."

"I'm sure that's not true."

"Oh, it is. It's only because of Tomoyo that I learned how to coordinate my clothes." Sakura laughed.

"Well, you look very lovely." He replied.

"Thank you." She replied bashfully.

Their meals came out and they ate, talking about random nonsense. When Syaoran heard that she never got to watch movies as she was growing up, he told her he would show her some good ones, and when they got home they watched an amusing film about pirates.

It was nearly one in the morning when it finished, and Sakura was exhausted, so she dragged herself off to bed. Once she hit the sheets, she fell asleep.

...

Sakura found herself in the middle of the city, trying to figure out where to go. Syaoran had asked her to pick up some various materials and gave her directions to the shop she needed, but she had a feeling it wasn't going to be so simple.

She carried on through the city, looking for the street she needed. She found it and started looking for an old antique store, spotting one that looked like it was what she was looking for, and headed over.

Sakura looked at the sign, checking to see if it was the same on Syaoran had written on the paper, and sighed with relief when it was.

Gently, she pushed open the door. Bells rang to let the store owner know that someone had entered the shop. Sakura closed the door behind her and looked around-it was a dimly lit store, but there was enough light to see the goods clearly.

She looked around, curious. She spotted a dresser made from mahogany, along with a matching coffee table and nightstand.

"How can we help you?" a soft voice sounded from the back of the store.

Sakura span around to see a young woman with honey brown eyes and her brunette hair tied in two plaits. Her skin was pale, and she had a gentle face.

Sakura held out the list, "Um, I'm here to pick up these orders for Syaoran..."

The woman blinked with surprise. "Are you his new assistant-er, girlfriend?" she asked curiously.

Sakura nodded. "Both."

"Ah. It's good that he finally decided to find someone new. His last "assistant" was a pain in the ass-for him, anyway. I'll be back in a moment." She smiled and then disappeared into the back.

While she waited, Sakura decided to look around. She walked over to the dresser she'd been eyeing off before and examined the intricate patterns that had been carved into the wood.  
She shifted her weight and the floor boards creaked under her feet. Then, she continued to look around the shop.

She spotted a couple of very old antique dolls sitting in a cabinet looking lonely, along with some very intricate pieces of jewellery. A heart shaped emerald pendant caught her interest and she walked over to get a closer look at it. There were tiny diamonds along the edge of the heart, set in what she assumed to be white gold. It was a very pretty piece, but she somehow doubted it would ever find a home-not with a price that high.

"There you are."

Sakura looked over as the woman walked over to her with a bag. Sakura took it and the woman smiled, "Everything is in there. I checked myself."

"Thank you." Sakura replied, handing the woman an envelope that held the money for the order.

The woman double checked to make sure it was the correct amount and pulled out the note that had been enclosed with the money.

"Ah-okay. We should have this done in about two weeks."

"I'll let Syaoran know." Sakura replied.

"What's your name?" the woman asked curiously.

"It's Sakura."

"Ah, I'm Chiharu. I guess I'll see you in a few weeks, then." Chiharu smiled kindly.

Sakura gave her a small smile in return, "Thank you. I'll see you later."

"Have a good day-oh and tell him not to overwork himself!" Chiharu called out as Sakura left the store.

Sakura gave her a small smile and nodded as she left the store, the bells above the door ringing as she left.

…

It didn't take long for Sakura to get home. She found Syaoran sitting in the kitchen having a break for lunch when she got inside, and he smiled when he looked up to greet her.

"Did you get there okay?" he asked.

Sakura nodded, "Yes, it was surprisingly easy to find. I was expecting it to be tucked away in some obscure place." She confessed.

He laughed. "Oh, I see."

"Sorry-did I keep you waiting for long?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I just sat down."

Sakura felt relieved that she hadn't kept him waiting. "Where would you like me to put these things?"

"Can you put them in the workshop? I'll sort through them later." He answered.

"Chiharu said the thing that was written in the note should be ready in a couple of weeks." Sakura added as she left the kitchen and headed down to the workshop.

After placing the bag on the bench, she sighed softly and returned to the kitchen to eat lunch with Syaoran.

"These next few weeks are going to be pretty exhausting. Think you can keep up?" Syaoran asked as she started making herself a hot drink.

"I think I can. I'm used to being under stress at work and needing to get things done quickly." Sakura replied. "Um..."

He looked up to see she was fidgeting with her fingers. "What's up?"

"Would you mind if I helped with dinner tonight?" she asked quietly.

"Sure, I don't mind." He smiled.

Her face lit up, "Great!"

After eating, they spent the rest of the day in the workshop working to fill orders. Sakura mostly did the small, easy tasks while Syaoran focused on the bigger and more difficult tasks, things she couldn't yet handle.

It was like that with dinner, as well. Because they were both so tired, Syaoran just asked her to do the smaller less complicated things while he focused on the rest.

And it continued like that for the next few weeks. Their third date was spent at the museum, because Sakura had mentioned that she'd never been before and was interested in seeing what their exhibits were like; like the date at the aquarium, she seemed to really enjoy looking around the museum, though she couldn't decide what part was her favourite. She bought herself a little keychain as a little memoir of the occasion, and as usual she couldn't resist the strawberry short cake at the café they had stopped by.

For their fourth date, they had decided to simply stay home and play board games all day and late into the night. Sakura lost most of the games, much to her irritation, and she declared that one day she would beat him in all the games. Syaoran had laughed at that.

Their fifth date was spent at the movies, and Syaoran had left Sakura to pick what they were seeing, which inevitably ended up being a horror movie, much to Sakura's own horror and Syaoran's amusement. She had clung to his arm throughout the entire film, utterly terrified, but he didn't mind-he was more amused than anything. She also jumped at every sound throughout the house that night, unable to sleep peacefully and ended up making herself a hot chocolate to try and calm her nerves. Syaoran had joined her in the kitchen and they ended up talking until the early hours of the morning when Sakura finally managed to fall asleep.

And like that, their first month together flew by.

* * *

 **Thanks for your support guys :) I've had to restrain myself from uploading a new story until I've finished one of the others. I'm also being attacked by plot bunnies for...many...fics...**


	6. Chapter 6

**Here's the next chapter! As always, thank you for your wonderful reviews. Plot Bunny Attack continues.**

* * *

It had been a particularly long day for Sakura-she'd ran several errands on Syaoran's behalf, as well as taken some calls for orders and then filed the necessary paperwork and she'd helped Syaoran out in the workshop.

So, it came as no surprise to Syaoran when she fell asleep curled into his side on the couch while they were watching TV.

He didn't mind that she'd fallen asleep against him-in fact he was quite relieved, given what she'd told him about her past boyfriends.  
But he also felt at ease with her.  
She was strange, yes, but he'd gotten used to that and she was quite a sweet and gentle person underneath all of that.  
He enjoyed being with her-it didn't feel exhausting like it had with his last relationship, and she was a huge help not only around the house but with her work, too. She was quick and efficient and able to set her mind straight to the task when needed.  
He smiled as he watched her sleep, and then rested his cheek on her hair.

Sakura woke in her room the next morning feeling a little confused as to how she'd gotten there, as she distinctly remembered falling asleep downstairs.  
She assumed Syaoran had carried her and shrugged it off, moving to get dressed and then headed down stairs for breakfast.

She passed the lounge room on her way, where Syaoran was watching the news, and stopped when she recognised the story.

"Oh, thank god..." she whispered.

Syaoran turned and spotted her. "Yeah, they found the child a few weeks ago thanks to an anonymous phone call." Syaoran explained, "Though apparently they're trying to track her down-the caller, I mean. She just gave them the information and then hung up."

"Maybe she doesn't want to be identified." Sakura shrugged.

"That's possible. I wonder why, though..."

The news played the recording if the conversation between the anonymous person and the hotline, and Syaoran frowned.

"Sakura...isn't that your voice?" he asked.

"I don't think so. Unless I somehow called them without knowing it?"

He laughed. "Okay."

She narrowed her eyes. "Somehow I feel like you don't believe me."

"Well, you did make a phone call the night this was on the news." He pointed out.

"Oh. I called Tomoyo," she said, "Cases like that hit really close to home, and I wanted to talk to her about it."

He looked at her with sympathy in his eyes. "It must be really hard for you."

She shrugged. "Maybe. Anyway, I'm going to make myself breakfast."

Sakura walked out of the lounge room but was stopped when Syaoran caught her hand. "You don't have to hide it, Sakura." He said softly.

Sakura felt her eyes burn with tears. She didn't want to acknowledge it, but something was hurting inside, something that had been triggered since the first news of the boy.

Syaoran pulled her into his arms and held her as she trembled with sobs, comforting her. They stayed like that for a long while, until Sakura pulled away.

"I'll be in the workshop once I've eaten. Sorry for making your shirt wet." She said, looking at the clock.

Syaoran followed her line of sight and swore. It was nearly nine.

"Take your time." Syaoran spoke softly before hurrying to his workspace.

Sakura smiled a little and carried on to the kitchen, where she made herself a quick sandwich and a hot cup of coffee to wake herself up. She felt a lot better having cried on Syaoran, as if some huge weight had been lifted off her chest.

Her phone buzzed, and she pulled it out, finding it was a text from Tomoyo. Sakura smiled. Tomoyo wanted to meet Syaoran and had asked that they do something over the weekend.

 _'I'll text her back during lunch.'_ She thought to herself as she finished off her sandwich and coffee, and then headed down to the work shop.

Recently, Syaoran had been teaching Sakura how to do much larger and difficult tasks, compared to the smaller ones she had already mastered.

"Careful-this part is tricky because of the frequent curves you have to cut, so take your time with it." He explained to her, "Metals are not easy to work with, especially when they're such small pieces."

They were working on a ring that stopped the rapid absorption of magic into the body, and instead regulated it.  
It was fidgety-Jewellery making always was-but Sakura was learning a lot about the special properties of certain minerals and metals and their unique connections with magic.

Sakura finished the task of cutting into the metal's surface and Syaoran smiled, "You're a really fast learner."

She blushed, "It's easy with you teaching me."

He chuckled.

"So, what do I do now?" she asked.

"We need to do another five, so before moving to the next step, let's get the others done." Syaoran replied.

Sakura nodded, "Okay, cool."

Sakura moved to grab the sheet of metal at the same time as Syaoran, and their hands met.

"Sorry!" Sakura apologised, and he laughed softly.

"Don't worry about it. Do you remember what to do?"

"Sort of, but just to be sure, can we run through it again?" she replied. She didn't want to mess anything up and have to start over again.

"Sure," he smiled, and once again he walked her through the steps.

They took a break for lunch at about one. They had decided to go down to the bakery to get something different, and while Sakura did order something for lunch, she also couldn't resist a slice of the strawberry shortcake.

"You sure love strawberry shortcake." Syaoran commented as they walked back home together.

"It tastes good." She smiled.

"Is there a reason you like it so much other than how it tastes?" he asked curiously.

Sakura smiled a little sadly. "My dad used to make it all the time for us. I miss it, to be honest."

Syaoran hummed in understanding. "It's not your fathers, but if you want, I can make one for you."

Sakura immediately perked up and looked at him excitedly. "Really?"

"Sure." He smiled.

"Thanks!" she smiled cheerfully.

Syaoran thought that that smile was the brightest he'd ever seen from her since they'd met. He couldn't help but smile with her as they walked.

"Oh! Tomoyo sent me a message this morning-she wants to meet you." Sakura remembered.

He blinked, "When?"

"She said she was free on Saturday...what do you think?"

He smiled, "Alright. I'll let you organise that, then."

"Great!" She beamed. She couldn't help but feel a little excited about the coming weekend. She had a feeling they were going to have a lot of fun together.

Once they got home, they both returned to work. They worked together to fill the order for the rings, and by the end of the day they had managed to get most of them done. Syaoran just needed to finish them off, but he would leave that for the next day, since he and Sakura were both exhausted.

They made dinner together and spent their evening in the lounge room, then headed to bed before ten.

...

"Sakura, can you send these off please?" Syaoran asked.

He placed several packages on the desk, all of them containing orders they had completed during that week.

"Yep-here are the hard copies of the orders we got this week. They're in order of when we got them for you." Sakura replied, handing him three pieces of paper.

Syaoran took them and read through what they were.

"Okay, these shouldn't take too long." He murmured more to himself than Sakura.

"Once I've sent these off, did you need me to go pick up anything for you?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran nodded, "I need some more quartz and dragon scale powder. I'm running low."

"Okay. I'll go do that once I've finished with these." She replied.

"Thanks." Syaoran murmured, "Tomoyo's coming tomorrow, right?"

"Yeah-is that okay?"

"It's fine. Does she know about magic?" he asked curiously.

Sakura nodded. "She does, but she can't use it herself. She knows I use it though."

"I see no reason to hide anything from her then." Syaoran murmured.

Sakura smiled. "Hurry up and get back to work-you have a lot to do, mister." She laughed.

"Okay, okay, I'm going." He replied in the same playful tone as he left the room.

"Be careful!" she called out.

Once he was gone, Sakura started sending off the packages. It was a simple spell, really, that allowed the packages to take on a bird-like form and fly to their recipients.  
It was how all mail was sent by magicians.  
Regular people who were unaware of magic still used the much more boring and slow post service.

Once she was done, she grabbed her handbag and left to go buy the supplies Syaoran needed.

It didn't take long to get what she was looking for. She hummed softly to herself as she walked, and someone passing by walked into her.

"Sorry," they grunted.

"It's fine." She looked down at the slip of paper the stranger had pushed into her hand and she unfolded it to see what the message was.

 _'Finish your job. You're needed for another case.'_

She screwed up the piece of paper and tossed it into the trash can as she passed it. Finish the job. That was what she'd been ordered to do.

She returned home and walked down to the workshop where Syaoran was polishing something she guessed to be a wand or stave.

"Here are the things you needed." Sakura smiled a little weakly.

Syaoran looked up to see conflicting emotions on Sakura's face. "Did something happen while you were out?" he asked.

She shook her head. "Just an unpleasant run in with a stranger. I'm not hurt, though!" she added quickly when she saw his look of alarm.

"You sure you're okay?" he asked softly. How did she attract such attention? Yes, she was pretty and very attractive, but still.

"I promise, I'm fine. I bought you a slice of chocolate cake while I was out as well. I got myself the usual." Sakura replied. "It's in the fridge when you want it."

He smiled, "Thank you."

Sakura walked back out to the kitchen where she'd left the cake on the bench, and she removed a vial from her pocket. It was full of a clear, odourless liquid. She removed the lid and stared at the liquid for a moment, and then sighed heavily.

...

Sakura was quiet and seemed a little distracted during dinner that evening. They were sitting at the table eating the cake Sakura had bought earlier that day.

"Seriously, what's bothering you?" Syaoran asked with concern.

Sakura shook her head. "I think I'm just tired."

He watched her closely for a moment. "Maybe you should go to bed early."

She nodded, "Yeah. You're right..."

He reached across the table and placed his hand gently over hers. "If you need to talk, I'm willing to listen."

Sakura smiled softly. "I know. Thanks, Syaoran."

He gave her hand a squeeze and then pulled back.

They finished their dessert and Sakura sat and read for an hour before heading upstairs to go to bed. She lay there, her mind wandering aimlessly.  
She had only really realised it a short while ago, but she really hated being an assassin. She loved the life she was building with Syaoran, she enjoyed it even. But...

There was no easy way to simply stop being an assassin, other than by killing herself.

She pulled out the vial that was still full of the liquid and stared at it. When she thought about him dying, her chest felt tight like she couldn't breathe.

She found she had come to care for Syaoran in a way she never thought possible-in a way that almost scared her. She didn't understand her feelings completely yet, but part of her knew.

She could not kill Syaoran.

* * *

 **Bam!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Bonk. All your reviews made me smile. Thank you so much xD I hope you all enjoy this chapter. A new character is introduce, who I'm sure you'll all loathe.**

* * *

Tomoyo stared at Syaoran for a long moment, examining his features. They were sitting in the lounge room with glasses of iced tea, and Sakura was busy drinking hers while Syaoran shifted uncomfortably under Tomoyo's gaze.

"Sakura speaks a lot about you." He said casually.

"Oh? That's sweet." Tomoyo smiled, "Sakura's told me a lot about you as well."

"Tomoyo!" Sakura blushed.

"I hope it was all good things." Syaoran joked.

"Oh, I can assure you they were all very good things." She said.

Sakura buried her face in her hands. Syaoran chuckled.

A timer sounded from the kitchen and Syaoran stood, "That's the cake. I'll be back shortly."

"Okay." Sakura replied with a smile, and he left the two girls alone.

Tomoyo sipped her tea. "You're falling for him hard."

Sakura's blush deepened. "Y-yeah...I guess..."

"That's great Sakura. You make a really cute couple." Tomoyo teased.

"The agency contacted me yesterday..." Sakura murmured.

Tomoyo's eyes widened. "What do they want?"

"They want me to finish the job... But I can't." Sakura replied.

"What will you do, Sakura?" Tomoyo asked quietly.

"I'm going to quit being an assassin. I just can't do it anymore." Sakura replied. "I need my life back..."

Tomoyo reached over and took her hands into her own. "I'll support you until the very end." She smiled softly.

Sakura looked at her friend gratefully. "Thank you Tomoyo. For everything."

Syaoran entered the lounge a short while later to find that Tomoyo was talking to Sakura about her upcoming concert in a few months.

"I hope I can make it that day," Sakura said, "It will depend on if we have anything planned."

"What's this about?" Syaoran asked.

"My concert that's going to be held in August-I'd like to give you two these tickets." Tomoyo answered with a smile.

"Wow, thank you." Syaoran smiled, "Sakura's mentioned before that you have an amazing voice."

Tomoyo laughed, "I hope I won't disappoint."

"You won't, Tomoyo, you're amazing!" Sakura insisted.

Syaoran smiled.

"Oh! I almost forgot about the photos! I'll be back in a minute." Sakura bounced out of the room and headed upstairs, leaving Tomoyo with Syaoran.

"She's changed a lot since meeting you-in a good way, of course." Tomoyo commented.

Syaoran blinked. "How so?"

"Sakura used to shut herself off to those around her-it took me a while to get as close as I am to her now. But with you, she seems so much more cheerful and alive." Tomoyo replied with a soft smile. "I'm so relieved... I've been worried about her."

"I would never treat her in a way that would make her sad." Syaoran said. "I want her to keep smiling."

"You're a very sweet person. I'm glad."

Syaoran blushed a little.

"I know she's kind of odd, but please don't let that keep you from getting to know her." Tomoyo said.

Syaoran smiled with amusement, "She is a little, but it's what makes her Sakura."

"I couldn't agree more."

Several moments later, Sakura came rushing back in with her stack of photos from the dates she'd been on with Syaoran so far.  
She gave Tomoyo the photos and she chattered on about the things they had done during their dates, much to Tomoyo's obvious enjoyment and interest.

"Do you have tomorrow's date planned?" Tomoyo asked curiously.

"Yeah-there's a shrine that's holding a festival tomorrow night. We're going to go together." Sakura replied.

Tomoyo's eyes sparkled. "Ooh! Are you going to wear your yukata?"

"I don't have one." Sakura said plainly.

"Well now-that can change." Tomoyo smiled deviously and pulled out her phone.

Sakura and Syaoran looked at each other, both equally confused.

About half an hour later, Tomoyo had Sakura in her bedroom trying on countless different designs. The opera singer had called her personal stylist and had a van full of various designs and colours to pick and choose from.

"Tomoyo, is this really necessary?" Sakura complained.

"Of course, it is! Besides, it's a festival-you want to look cute for him, right?" Tomoyo giggled.

Sakura sighed and tried on the next one.

"Oh, this one is perfect, Sakura!" Tomoyo grinned.

"I guess it is pretty." Sakura agreed.

"Look in the mirror."

Sakura did so. She was surprised with what she saw.

"Well?" Tomoyo pressed.

Sakura was wearing a creme coloured Yukata with pink cherry blossom print, and a dark pink obi belt.

"I like this one." Sakura smiled, "It's cute."

"Great!" Tomoyo smiled brightly, "You can take this, then. It's yours."

Sakura looked to her friend with surprise. "Really?"

"Of course. Just send me pictures, alright?"

Sakura smiled, "Okay, I'll do that."

A knock sounded at the door followed by Syaoran's voice. "The cake's ready when you are." He said.

"We'll be down in five!" Sakura replied.

"What kind of cake did he make?" Tomoyo asked curiously as she helped Sakura undress.

"My favourite." Sakura blushed.

"That's adorable." Tomoyo giggled.

"Tomoyo..." Sakura groaned.

Once Sakura was back in her normal clothes, the two girls headed downstairs and into the kitchen where Syaoran was waiting. Sitting on the table was a slice of cake each.

"Did you find something you liked?" he asked. He too had been just as surprised as Sakura when Tomoyo's female body guards brought in a lot of large boxes full of different designs.

"Yeah, it's-"

Tomoyo covered Sakura's mouth. "You'll get to see it tomorrow night." She smiled.

Sakura licked Tomoyo's hand and she pulled away, though not overly fazed by having her hand licked.

Syaoran raised his brow, "Okay, I can wait."

"Wonderful!" Tomoyo beamed.

"Shall we sit?" he asked, nodding to the table.

"Yes!" Sakura replied enthusiastically, receiving a laugh from the other two.

After finishing the cake, Tomoyo sighed sadly. "I should really leave-I have a lot to do."

"Oh...that's too bad. I'm glad you came today." Sakura smiled.

"I'm glad I did too," she said as they all stood.

They walked to the front door and Tomoyo turned to Syaoran. "Thank you for letting me come today, and for letting me meet you."

"I'm glad I got to meet you as well. Feel free to come again." He smiled.

Tomoyo giggled. "I trust you with Sakura. If you hurt her, you'll have to deal with me."

"I'll uh, keep that in mind." Syaoran laughed.

"Sakura-I expect pictures!"

"I know, I know." Sakura giggled, "Thanks for coming, Tomoyo."

Tomoyo winked at her friend and then turned to leave.

"Stay safe!" Sakura called out.

"You stay safe!" Tomoyo retorted, and then disappeared into her limousine.

Syaoran looked at Sakura, "What did she mean by that?"

Sakura shrugged, "I guess it was just a standard be careful from a friend."

Syaoran felt like there was something he was missing, and it was nagging him. But, he didn't ask.

"So...wanna play a game?" he asked instead.

"I'm so going to beat you this time." Sakura said with a straight face.

He smiled deviously. "Not on my watch."

...

The festival was packed with many stalls for food and entertainment, and hundreds of people dressed in their yukata's. Sakura had only ever been to a festival once when she was very young, so her memories of that time were vague. So, she was excited to be able to go.

Syaoran had decided to dress casually for the evening, while Sakura wore the yukata Tomoyo gave her. Syaoran had been speechless when he saw her, and even as they walked through the festival, he couldn't help but think she looked incredible.

"I'd forgotten what it was like to be at a festival." Sakura laughed, "The lights are beautiful."

"They are." Syaoran agreed. "When was the last time you went to a festival?"

She thought for a moment. "Hmm...I think I was six." She replied, "Honestly, I don't remember much of it. I do remember my brother calling me a monster, though. I was so mad."

"Wow. That was a long time ago." Syaoran grimaced. "Why did he call you that?"

She shrugged, "My brother loved teasing me. I really miss him."

He watched her softly, wanting to do something-anything-to help ease her pain, but he didn't know what.

"Come on, over this way!" she tugged on his arm, pulling him over to the gold fish.

"I'd like to play, please." She said to the stall owner.

Syaoran watched her as she crouched down beside the pool. She looked to be concentrating, waiting for the perfect moment. It almost looked natural for her...until she sneezed.

"Too bad." Syaoran laughed.

Sakura stood with a defeated expression on her face. "If only I hadn't sneezed..."

"Why don't you try again?" he suggested.

She shook her head, "I'd like to see what else is around."

"Sure." He laughed, "Just try not to sneeze next time."

Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and dragged him to the next stall.

They continued walking, stopping every now and again to check out a stall. After a while, Sakura felt like sitting down and sought out a bench to sit on while Syaoran went and got themselves drinks.

She looked up at the glittering stars, the source of her magic, and smiled. She couldn't remember much of her childhood before she'd been taken, but she did know that she had missed the freedom and fun. Being with Syaoran gave her that.  
She looked up as she heard giggling, and spotted Syaoran looking irritable as a girl hung off his arm.

"Oh, come on honey, just tonight?" the woman giggled.

"I told you, no." Syaoran reiterated.

"Oh, who could possibly be better than me? Besides, you're single-"

Sakura felt a slight tinge of jealousy, put shoved it aside and stood to walk over to him. "Is everything okay?" she cut across the girl's sentence.

Syaoran looked uncomfortable. "Everything's fine." He smiled tightly.

Sakura felt the woman glaring at her.

"Syaoran, who is this... _tramp_?" the woman demanded with disgust, digging her nails into his arm as she looked Sakura over.

Sakura smiled. "I'm his girlfriend." She replied, "And you are?"

The woman narrowed her eyes. "I'm Reina."

"Never heard of you." Sakura smiled brightly.

"Reina, let go of my arm. I made it clear that it was over _months_ ago." Syaoran spoke coldly.

"No, you're mine! Syaoran, why would you choose this _hussy_ over someone who's as beautiful as me?" she spat the word hussy, though Sakura wasn't overly insulted. If anything, she was amused.

He tore his arm away from Reina and moved away from her, coming to stand beside Sakura. "Looks aren't everything, Reina. You have an ugly personality. I just wish I'd seen it a lot earlier."

"What does she have that I don't!?" she shrieked as she went for his arm again.

Sakura stood in front of Syaoran protectively, shielding him from Reina's clutches.

"Get out of my way, bitch." Reina hissed.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "Don't you dare hurt him."

Reina looked offended. "Hurt him? I would never hurt him!"

"You dug your nails into his arm so hard you drew blood! Go away before I call the police for assault." Sakura rebutted.

Reina was speechless.

Syaoran slipped his hand into Sakura's and squeezed gently. "Do as she says." He murmured. "I don't care for you anymore."

Furious, Reina turned on her heel and stormed off.

Sakura looked at Syaoran with concern. "I'm sorry you had to deal with that." She apologised.

He smiled grimly, "You're not the one who should be apologising."

She shrugged, "I've dealt with worse, sadly."

"It really is disturbing that you can say that so lightly." He said, tugging her hand so they could walk.

"It's a coping mechanism, I guess." She laughed. "Who was she, if you don't mind me asking?"

He sighed softly. "She's my ex. She cheated on me."

Sakura looked at him to see pain in his eyes.

"I did love her once, but that's in the past."

Sakura squeezed his hand gently.

"I would never do that to someone." She said. "It's such a cruel thing to do."

"We were together for two years, and she'd been cheating right from the beginning." He explained, "I walked in on her sleeping with another man after I got back from a conference."

Sakura winced. "That's…awful doesn't even begin to describe it."

"Yeah."

She smiled, "I hope I can help you heal."

Syaoran smiled softly, "You already are."

She blushed.

"Ah-I never got the drinks..." he suddenly remembered, and Sakura laughed.

"It's okay. Let's go home and watch a movie or something."

Syaoran laughed, "Sounds good."

* * *

 **Was I right? Do you loathe her?**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey everyone! Hope you're all doing okay :D As always, thank you for the reviews! I went into the city yesterday. My hips are dead.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

Sakura woke in the morning finding herself on the couch resting against Syaoran's warm body. She was dressed in her pyjamas, as the night before when they'd gotten home, she had decided to change into something comfortable before sitting down and watching a movie. She also remembered that she and Syaoran had fallen asleep together on the couch.

She looked at the clock to find it was seven thirty, and they really needed to get up.

"Syaoran?" she gently shook his shoulder.

Thankfully he woke. "Hmm?" he grunted.

"It's seven thirty. We need to get up." She laughed.

Syaoran sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes.

"How long have you been awake for?" he asked.

"About five minutes." She replied.

"Okay."

Sakura sensed that something felt off with his behaviour. Without thinking, she reached out and took his hand in hers.

"Sakura?" he looked at her questioningly.

"Is there something bothering you?" she asked softly.

"No, Sakura. Well...maybe seeing Reina last night threw me off." He confessed.

Sakura felt the need to reassure him, but what could she say?

"Syaoran, I... I know we've only been together for a little over a month, so maybe you don't trust me completely yet... but I would never cheat on you." She said sincerely.

He smiled softly. "I trust you completely, Sakura. And I know you wouldn't cheat on me."

She looked surprised. "How are you so sure?"

"Well, you stayed completely faithful to your previous partners despite how they treated you." He pointed out.

"That is true." Sakura murmured.

"The other reason you might get mad at me for saying." He laughed.

She pouted. "What is it?"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Okay, well... your oblivious to everyone around you. I don't think cheating would even cross your mind if you don't even pick up on people flirting with you."

Sakura thought it over for a minute. "Well...you're not wrong, but I don't agree either."

He looked surprised and she smiled. "Why would I want to cheat on the first person who tried to understand me, who wanted to try with me despite my very obvious abnormal social behaviour?" Sakura said.

Syaoran looked at her with further surprise.

"So, you were testing me?" he asked.

She looked a little guilty. "Well...yeah. Sorry..."

He laughed. "Don't apologise, I completely understand. Am I really the first who tried to look past that?"

She nodded. "Your reactions were amusing. Everything I said those times is true, though. My family was murdered in front of me and my boyfriends abused me."

"I didn't think you were lying." He confessed.

She smiled sheepishly. "That's a relief."

"So, what do you want for breakfast?" he then asked.

"French toast." She replied with a grin.

"Wow-okay then." He chuckled as he stood and stretched.

"I'm going to get dressed. See you in five-maybe." Sakura said as she headed for the stairs.

Syaoran followed behind, needing to get dressed himself before making breakfast.

Sakura smiled to herself. She felt like she was on cloud nine-their date had been great, minus the little interruption, and they'd spent the night together on the couch. She was so happy with him-for the first time in her life, she was happy. And it was because of that, that lead her to her decision.

Once she had dressed in a pale blue dress with orange flowers printed on it, she picked up her phone and dialled the number to her agency.

"Sakura-what's taking you so long?" came the irritated voice of her superior, Rin.

"I'm quitting." Sakura replied.

"Quitting? The job?"

"Being an assassin altogether. I quit." Sakura spoke firmly.

The voice on the other end laughed, "You _can't_ be serious. You're one of the best."

"I'm dead serious." She spoke coldly.

"Why?"

"Because I'm tired of this." Sakura answered. "I want my life back. I won't tell anyone about the secret agency that works for the government-I just want to live my life how I want to. I can't do this anymore."

There was silence. "You better watch your back, then. Being in love can be dangerous."

"Perhaps, but I will survive and so will he." She said, referring to Syaoran.

"Goodbye." She then hung up and turned her phone off, tossing it into the bin. She made a mental note to buy a new one.

Syaoran was waiting for her downstairs, making breakfast. Sakura walked over to the bench where a cup of tea sat waiting for her, and she smiled.

"I need you to go into Chiharu's and Yamazaki's shop today and get some materials for me." Syaoran said as he cooked.

"Sure, I'll do that first thing today. Did you want me to get anything else while I'm out?" she asked as she sat down.

"We're running low on eggs." He replied.

"Okay." Sakura smiled.

"Here." Syaoran handed her a plate with her breakfast and she grinned.

"Thank you, Syaoran."

They ate together and then started their work for the day. Sakura headed out of the house to get what she needed; the weather was warming with the approach of summer, making Sakura think of the beach.

She pushed open the door to the familiar antique store, the bell jingling to let the owners know of a customer's presence. Yamazaki peered around the corner and smiled.

"Hello again." He greeted cheerfully.

"Hello," Sakura smiled.

"What does he need?" the man asked, getting straight to the point.

Sakura pulled out a piece of paper with the list of what Syaoran needed.

"Hmm, I'm pretty sure we have everything in stock. I'll go check." He said and walked to the back of the store.

Sakura waited patiently for him to return, humming a soft tune to herself. Roughly five minutes later, Yamazaki reappeared with a bag for Sakura.

"Here's the money." Sakura smiled as she handed him the amount she owed.

"Thanks Sakura." He smiled, "Everything is in there-luckily I had enough of everything."

"That's great!" Sakura beamed. "By the way...where's Chiharu?"

"She's not well today, so I told her to rest." Yamazaki answered, "It's her birthday this coming Saturday, and I'm planning a surprise birthday party for her. Can you see if you and Syaoran can come?"

Sakura could see a mischievous twinkle in his eyes. She smiled, "I'll ask him about it. I don't think we'll be busy."

"Great! I'll text him the details later today."

Sakura nodded, "Tell Chiharu I hope she feels better soon." She said as she turned to leave.

"Will do!"

Sakura grinned at him and then left the store, heading back to the house.

…

Syaoran hung up the phone just as Sakura walked in carrying the heavy bag of materials.

"Who was that?" she asked as she placed the bag down.

He picked it up and lifted it onto the work bench. "It was someone enquiring about prices." He replied.

"Let me guess-they said they'd call back?" she said.

"Yep... they usually don't." Syaoran murmured, "Think you can help me with this order today?"

Sakura picked up the sheet of paper with the order details on it and scanned through it.

"Of course, I can." She giggled, "Have you started yet?"

"Yeah, just with what I had available to me. I was running low on dragon scales though, so I couldn't do much." Syaoran replied.

"I see. Want me to extract the dragon stone while you work with the scales?" she suggested.

"Sounds like a plan. You're getting really good with crafting, you know." Syaoran added.

Sakura smiled, "Only because I have an amazing teacher."

Syaoran laughed. "Don't cut your hand open."

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully. "Yes, sir."

They worked through their morning fairly quickly and took a break for lunch. Syaoran sat with Sakura at the table, the both of them eating sandwiches.

"Yamazaki asked if we'd go over for Chiharu's birthday on Saturday. He wants to plan a surprise party." Sakura brought up.

He looked thoughtful. "I don't see why we can't."

She smiled, "He said he'd text you the details."

He nodded, "Okay. I don't know what we should get her, though."

"I'm not sure either." Sakura replied, "I've never given or received a birthday present before."

He looked at her with surprise. "What about when you were little?"

"Hmm, I'm sure my mother and father gave me presents, but I can't remember very well." She shrugged.

"When is your birthday?" He asked curiously.

"April first."

"So, it's already been and gone, huh?" he murmured.

"What?"

"Nothing, just talking to myself." He smiled.

"When I went out earlier, the warm weather made me think of the beach. I haven't been in a while-I'd like to go sometime." Sakura smiled.

He returned her smile, "Maybe we can go when it's warm."

"I'd like that." She said softly.

Once they'd eaten, the pair headed back to work. The day felt like it had gone by surprisingly fast, though as usual Sakura was exhausted and falling asleep by nine.  
She fell asleep with ease, waking in the morning and going through her usual daily routine with Syaoran.  
The weekend crept up on them fairly quickly, much like the sudden hot weather on Saturday.

Sakura wore a white spaghetti strap dress with her brown pumps and a white ribbon in her hair. She had just finished getting ready and headed downstairs where Syaoran was waiting at the door.

He looked up and smiled, "You look beautiful."

She blushed, "Thank you."

"Shall we go?" Syaoran asked.

She nodded, "Yep!"

They left the house together holding hands, walking to the train station in silence. Thankfully it wasn't terribly busy, and they boarded the train with ease.

"It's so hot today." Sakura complained.

"We are getting into summer." Syaoran pointed out, "Though I'm not overly fond of the heat either."

"I hope they have air conditioning..." Sakura mumbled, earning herself an amused chuckle from Syaoran.

Thankfully, Chiharu and Yamazaki's residence did have air conditioning. Sakura sighed in bliss as she stepped inside. Yamazaki had greeted them at the door and he lead them through to the kitchen, where several other guests were chattering away.

"Is Chiharu here or is she out somewhere?" Syaoran asked Yamazaki.

"Rika's taken her out with the excuse that she wants her to choose her present." Yamazaki replied with a smile.

"I see." Syaoran said.

"Where should I put this?" Sakura asked, holding up a pretty gift bag with a bottle of expensive wine in it.

"Just on the coffee table in the lounge room." Yamazaki replied.

Sakura nodded and walked into the lounge, setting the gift on the table. The two men followed behind, chatting away.

"You seem quite busy with work again." Yamazaki said.

"Yes-it's been quite hectic these past two months or so." Syaoran replied. "It's a lot easier with Sakura around to help."

Sakura smiled bashfully.

"That's good-you seem happier these days. I'm relieved-Chiharu and I were worried about you."

Syaoran smiled as he looked at Sakura, "Yeah. I'm doing great."

"Good-I hope she sticks around." Yamazaki laughed.

Sakura blushed madly.

"We're back," A soft voice rang down the hall.

Yamazaki walked out to greet the two women.

"Takashi, why is everyone...?" Chiharu faltered finishing her sentence.

"They're all here for you." He smiled.

"Happy birthday!" Everyone chorused.

Chiharu's brown eyes widened in surprise, and then she smiled. "I wasn't expecting this...Thank you all so much." Chiharu said gratefully.

The woman standing beside Chiharu, Rika, had short wavy hair that framed her gentle face, and warm brown eyes. She was quite petit, and very pretty.

"Oh, Syaoran-you have a new girlfriend?" Rika asked with a smile.

"Yes-this is Sakura." Syaoran replied, "Sakura, this is Rika. She's a close friend of Chiharu's."

Rika smiled kindly at Sakura, "Nice to meet you."

Sakura smiled back, "Nice to meet you, too."

As they all started talking with one another, Sakura felt a prickle on the back of her neck, like someone was watching her. She looked around, searching for the source, and her eyes landed on a young man standing with another group, watching her with interest.

"Sakura, is something wrong?" Syaoran asked her.

She looked up at him and smiled, "Sorry, it felt like someone was watching me. It's probably my imagination."

He slipped his hand into hers and squeezed softly. "Maybe you're anxious because there's so many people here you don't know?" he suggested.

"Maybe, but I'm not usually fazed by crowds..." Sakura shrugged, "Oh well."

"Okay." He smiled.

"Can I get you guys something to drink?" Yamazaki asked.

Sakura's ears perked. "Could I have a glass of cold water? It's really hot outside."

"Sure. Syaoran?"

"I'm fine for now." Syaoran replied.

"I'll be back."

Yamazaki went off to get Sakura her drink, and Rika approached the pair.

"Hello-I'm Rika." She introduced herself to Sakura, "I'm a nurse at the children's hospital."

Sakura smiled, "That must be a demanding job."

Rika shrugged her shoulders a little. "It can be, but I don't mind. I do have day's where I want to rip my hair out, though."

Sakura laughed, "You get that with most jobs though."

"That's true," Rika giggled. "What do you do?"

"Oh-I help Syaoran with his work." Sakura replied.

"She's good at it, too." Syaoran added.

"Oh wow-what do you do to help him?" Rika asked.

"I do a lot of the admin work, and I get the materials and equipment when we run low. I also help with crafting." Sakura replied.

"That sounds exhausting." Rika said.

"It's not too bad." Sakura smiled, "I also enjoy it."

"Well that's all that matters, right?" Rika smiled back.

Yamazaki reappeared and gave Sakura her glass of cold water, and she thanked him.

"So the two of you have been quite busy, then?" Rika then asked.

Syaoran nodded, "Very."

Sakura let out a sudden yelp and the glass in her hand came crashing to the floor, gaining everyone's attention as the glass shattered. Syaoran immediately put himself between Sakura and the source of her sudden shock-the man she had seen watching her before.

"What the hell!?" Syaoran growled.

The stranger smiled. "She has a nice ass, and a w-"

A fist came flying into his face, cutting his sentence short. Syaoran looked at Chiharu with surprise. She was furious.

"How dare you do that to MY friend, in MY HOUSE!" She bellowed. "Get out!"

"Chiharu, it's okay-" Sakura tried to calm her friend.

"No, it's not okay!" Yamazaki growled, glaring at Chiharu's relative with disgust.

Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand gently.

Rika took Sakura's arm, "Here, come with me for a minute."

Syaoran let Rika take Sakura into a separate room with Chiharu following behind.

"Sakura, I am so, SO sorry about what my cousin did." Chiharu apologised with tears in her eyes.

"It's okay-I'm used to it." Sakura smiled.

The two women looked at her, mortified.

"You don't mean Syaoran, right?" Rika asked nervously.

Sakura shook her head. "No-I'm just used to that sort of thing happening."

"Oh god, that's awful..."

"So really, I'm fine-Chiharu, please don't cry. You should be celebrating your birthday..." Sakura tried to console her friend.

"How can you be so calm? He just sexually assaulted you!" Chiharu cried.

Sakura blinked, and then a sad smile spread across her face. "Maybe...but I'm okay. It surprised me a bit, and I didn't like it, but I'll be able to cope." Sakura said.

"If anyone ever tries to do that to you or someone else, please punch them." Chiharu groaned. "It's not an okay thing for people to do."

Sakura smiled. "Okay, I'll keep that in mind."

Rika and Chiharu glanced at each other with worry.

"I'm sorry about your glass. I'll buy you a new one." Sakura added.

"No, please don't-it's just one glass." Chiharu said quickly.

"You sure?" Sakura asked.

Chiharu nodded, "Yes, very."

"Okay..."

Syaoran was waiting anxiously for Sakura to come back. He was gut wrenchingly anxious, worried about Sakura. It was the second time he'd witnessed her get assaulted like that, and he was angry with himself for not being able to do anything-for not being able to see it in time.

"Are you okay? That was terrible..." Yamazaki murmured.

"No, I'm angry. I want to kill him." Syaoran growled.

Yamazaki sighed heavily. He could agree with that.

"I hope Sakura's ok." Syaoran said quietly.

"Speaking of, here she comes." Yamazaki replied.

Syaoran looked over as Sakura approached. She was smiling, despite what had happened.

"I'll leave you two to talk." Yamazaki said, and then went and hugged Chiharu.

"Syaoran?" Sakura spoke his name softly.

He met her gaze.

"Please don't think it's your fault." She pleaded.

"But-"

"Please." She said, "For me."

He was quiet for a moment. "How are you not bothered by his actions?"

She lowered her eyes. "It does bother me. This is just how I cope. Otherwise...I might break down."

He reached out and took her hand. "If you do...I'll be here with you."

She smiled, "Thank you."

"Anyone up for some food?" Yamazaki called out throughout the house.

"I am!" Sakura called back.

Syaoran watched her as she smiled and walked into the kitchen, acting as if the incident had never even occurred.

...

They left the party in the late afternoon and caught the train, though Syaoran had chosen to get off at a different stop to usual.

"Where are we going?" Sakura asked curiously as they walked together.

"It's a surprise." Syaoran smiled.

She raised her brow curiously, but he wasn't going to say any more on the subject, so she dropped it and let him take the lead.

"I had a good time at the party." Sakura said casually.

"I'm glad to hear that-Chiharu and Rika seem quite fond of you." Syaoran replied.

Sakura nodded, "Yeah-I really enjoyed talking with them. I think they'd get on well with Tomoyo, too."

"Maybe you should all get together and go out for a day?" he suggested.

Sakura looked thoughtful, "Maybe. I've never really had a group of friends before."

"Not sure what to do?" He asked.

"Not really, no."

Syaoran chuckled, "I'm sure it will all work out."

"You think so?"

"Well, we're doing okay, aren't we?" He said.

"That is true." Sakura laughed.

Sakura gasped when she realised where they were. Before her was sand, and beyond that sparkling sea green water. The sun was setting in the distance. Pink and yellow clouds decorated the sky, along with some purple and orange.

"Wow..." she smiled.

"I thought it would be nice to see before going home. Want to sit for a while?" Syaoran suggested.

"Sure-I'd love to." Sakura took her shoes off and sunk her feet into the cool sand as she sat down.

Syaoran sat down beside her, watching her marvel at the beauty of the sunset over the ocean.

It was a while before either of them spoke.

Sakura was leaning back on her hands, and Syaoran went to do the same, his hand resting on Sakura's.

She looked at him, finding he was watching her with a gentle expression, though she could see a want for something as well.  
His eyes landed on her lips, lingering for a moment before he lifted them back up to meet her eyes again, as if asking for permission.  
They both leaned closer to each other, Sakura's heart beating quickly.  
He lifted his other hand to cup her cheek and she smiled softly at him, giving him permission to go further.

Their lips met in a sweet and gentle kiss. Sakura felt a pleasant tingling through her body and met his gaze when they parted. He leant his forehead against hers for a long moment before kissing her again, taking her breath away.


	9. Chapter 9

Syaoran looked up as Sakura rushed in, placing a stack of orders on the table next to the work bench. She looked rather stressed as she moved about, grabbing papers that Syaoran had signed earlier.

"Sakura, are you okay?" he asked.

She nodded, "Sorry-I'll be back in a minute, there's someone on hold on the phone." She said as she rushed back out again. Syaoran raised his brow and after a moment of staring at the door, he returned his focus to his work.

It was already a month into summer. Since the night at the beach, the couple were a lot closer, and more affectionate, too. Sakura loved when they'd cuddle on the couch watching a movie or TV and fell asleep. They'd sneak kisses from each other, though not during work hours, and they'd tease one another about silly things. So, things were going great.

Five minutes later, Sakura reappeared with a heavy sigh.

"Lots of admin work?" he asked.

"Yeah-The customer on the phone could not understand what _no discounts_ meant." She grumbled.

Syaoran chuckled. "Is that the same person who called last week asking the same thing?"

She rolled her eyes, "Yes."

"That's annoying." He murmured. Sakura nodded. "Are you still going to see Tomoyo tomorrow?" he asked.

She brightened at this. "Yeah! She said she could only be out for two hours at most due to her schedule, but I'm still looking forward to seeing her. We're going to that new French cafe in town." She replied.

Syaoran smiled, "I haven't been there yet. Tell me if it's any good."

"I will." She beamed, "But for now, I need to finish this work..."

"Don't overdo it." He warned.

"I won't!" she called back cheerfully as she headed for the door. Syaoran smiled and then returned his focus to his work.

…

After eating dinner, they opted lying on the couch while watching a movie. Though, neither of them were really paying attention to the film as much as they were each other.

"Sakura-hey! That tickles!"

Sakura giggled as she slid her hands beneath his shirt. She locked eyes with his, finding a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"You sure you really want to start something you can't win?" he smiled.

Sakura just giggled. They stared at each other for a moment and then...

Sakura shrieked in surprise and burst into a fit of uncontrollable laughter, squirming beneath his hands. He didn't stop until she was laughing so much she couldn't breathe, so he relented and allowed her to catch her breath. She still giggled from time to time, but she calmed down quite quickly.

"My ribs hurt now." She giggled.

"Whose fault was that?" Syaoran laughed.

"Yours."

"You started it. I did warn you." He smiled.

Sakura giggled again. He leant in to her, his lips brushing her neck. He nipped at her pulse, suckling lightly, and then parted. Sakura felt her cheeks turn a little red.

"Good luck hiding that." He smiled deviously.

"I'll find a way." Sakura retorted.

Syaoran chuckled and gave her a quick kiss. "The movie's finished-we should head to bed." He said.

Sakura looked over at the TV to find he was right.

"It is late, I guess." She said.

He sat up and she followed. Syaoran turned the TV off and Sakura stood.

"See you in the morning." She smiled, and then headed upstairs to bed. Syaoran bid her a good night and followed behind a few moments later.

...

Sakura spotted Tomoyo sitting by the window and walked over to meet her friend.

"Tomoyo!" she smiled, calling her name.

Tomoyo looked up and returned her smile, "Hey Sakura! Thanks for coming today. I know you're supposed to be working."

Sakura sat down. "Syaoran is fine with it-he encouraged me to see you, actually, since we don't get to see each other very often." She replied.

"Ah, that's really sweet of him." Tomoyo said. Sakura nodded agreement. "You seem so much happier with him. I'm glad."

Sakura smiled gently, "He's a very gentle person. I don't deserve him."

Tomoyo groaned. "Sakura, all of your past boyfriends were abusive bastards! You deserve to be happy."

Sakura shook her head sadly. "Not with all of the blood on my hands. I started dating him with the intention to kill, Tomoyo. I don't deserve anything."

Tomoyo looked at her friend sympathetically. "Start a new life with him, then."

Sakura raised her brow. "Are you telling me to have a baby?"

Tomoyo laughed loudly. "Maybe in a few years. What I mean is, forget about your past as an assassin. Start your life as his life partner."

Sakura giggled. "I guess I shouldn't let my efforts go to waste, huh?"

"Never."

"I'm going to go order-want anything?" Sakura asked.

"Lemon tart." Tomoyo answered.

Sakura nodded and headed up to the counter to order, returning after a few minutes.

"Sakura, do you and Syaoran sleep together?" Tomoyo suddenly asked.

Sakura stared at her with total surprise. "Um...no..."

"Hm. Okay." Tomoyo shrugged.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"I was just curious. Last time I was over, you were sleeping in a separate room, so I wondered if that had changed yet." Tomoyo confessed.

"Oh. No, we still sleep in separate rooms." Sakura said, "We fall asleep on the couch together, though."

Tomoyo giggled. "That's cute."

"Syaoran's birthday is coming up... I don't know what to get him." Sakura changed topic.

Tomoyo raised her brow. "Has he mentioned anything he would like?"

Sakura shook her head. "I want to do something special for him though."

"I'm sure he'll be happy with anything you do for him." Tomoyo smiled, "No matter how big or small."

"You think so?" Sakura mumbled.

"Of course." She winked.

"Hmm..."

"Oh-by the way." Tomoyo rummaged through her bag and withdrew a flier. "Remember that concert I have coming up? I'd _really_ like you to come with your special someone." She winked.

"With Syaoran?" Sakura asked. "Are you sure we can have those tickets for free?" she asked, referring to when Tomoyo had given her the tickets.

"Of course! I hope I'll see you there."

Sakura smiled. "Thanks, Tomoyo, you're the best."

...

Upon returning home, Sakura made her way down to the workshop where Syaoran was doing some fine detail work on something.

"Welcome home." Syaoran murmured without looking up.

Sakura raised her brow in surprise. "How did you know I was here?" she asked.

Syaoran looked up from what he was doing and smiled. "I could sense you."

She blushed. "Oh..."

He nodded to the box in her hand, "What's that?"

"Oh! I bought us some cake on the way home." Sakura smiled. "I just wanted to let you know it is there for you when you want it."

"I might take a break now, then."

She looked surprised. He rarely took breaks except for lunch and to use the bathroom. "Are you sure? I don't want to be a bother..."

He smiled softly. "You're not a bother. Trust me."

"Okay."

They both headed into the kitchen where they sat down with each other to eat the cake Sakura had bought.

"How's Tomoyo?" Syaoran asked.

"She feels a bit over worked at the moment." Sakura replied.

"How come?"

"She has that big concert coming up, so there's been a bunch of events to promote it." Sakura answered. "She gave me tickets for us, remember?"

Syaoran looked surprised. "I remember."

Sakura nodded and pulled them out of her bag where she'd been keeping them safely. "Would you like to go...?"

Syaoran took the tickets and looked at the dates. "I'm free, so sure." He smiled.

"Great!" she beamed.

"I look forward to hearing her sing."

"You won't regret it." Sakura said, "She's amazing."

"So, you've mentioned a lot." Syaoran chuckled.

Sakura blushed. "I guess I got excited."

"It's okay-it's good to see you excited about something." Syaoran replied.

She smiled back, "Thank you."

…

Syaoran fell asleep with his arms wrapped around Sakura's frame on the couch that night. She smiled as she watched his sleeping face, but knew she needed to wake him up.

"Syaoran." She poked his cheek, "You need to let me go so I can go to bed."

He groaned. "Don't want to."

"Then I'll stay in your room with you tonight." She replied, "Sleeping on the couch can be a little uncomfortable..."

He sighed softly. "Okay." He released her body and she sat up, moving to turn the lights off before following Syaoran up the stairs.

"I'm just going to get changed." She said, and received a grunt in reply.

She walked into her room and changed into one of her cool satin night dresses that fell to mid-thigh, since it was such a warm humid night, and then went to Syaoran's room where he was waiting tiredly.

He too had changed into something more comfortable, though he was shirtless, but she didn't think much about it as they crawled into bed. He turned the lamp off and pulled her close, falling back to sleep within a few minutes. Sakura followed behind shortly after, falling asleep in comfort.

She woke in the morning to find Syaoran was already awake, watching her tenderly. "Good morning." He greeted.

"Morning..." she mumbled, snuggling closer to him. She was still half asleep. She had never been very good with waking up.

"If you don't wake up, I might have to kiss you." He chuckled.

She smiled, "Maybe I want you to kiss me."

Syaoran lifted his hand to cup her cheek and leant in to kiss her. She clutched him closer to her body, an ache forming between her legs. He swiped his tongue across her bottom lip, begging for entry into her warm cavern, and she parted her lips for him.

He enticed her tongue to dance with his, battling for dominance, and his hand slid down her side and cupped her ass. A small moan escaped her throat, and he smiled against her lips.

He hesitated for a moment, but then slid his hand into her panties to cup her wet heat. She bucked her hips against him, giving him permission to continue. He parted her folds with a finger, finding her sensitive pearl and pressed against it.

Another small moan escaped her lips.

Syaoran kissed her passionately as he rolled the nub beneath his finger, causing something in her abdomen to tighten. It was almost unbearable but felt so good. He then stopped, and instead he slid one, then two fingers into her wet core.

She arched her back slightly and she could feel her legs trembling. "Ah-"

The coil tightened, the feeling so unbearable yet so good, until finally it burst. Sakura's chest was heaving, and her body felt weak from her orgasm, warm fluids trickling down her inner thigh.

"Syaoran..." she breathed his name, and he smiled against her neck. She pulled him against her, desperately wanting to feel his body against hers.

But... He had other plans.

"It's time to get up, sweetheart." Syaoran smiled and kissed her neck.

Sakura pouted, "You tease."

"I have no idea what you mean." He smiled innocently, and then got out of bed. After a few moments, Sakura did the same.

It was another hot day with some clouds in the sky, but otherwise it was a bright sunny day. Sakura had dressed herself in a pale pink halter neck dress with brown sandals on her feet. She had a lot of admin work to get through, and she needed to run a few errands for Syaoran, too.

"I'm going to pick up some ingredients for dinner while I'm out today." Sakura said as she walked into the kitchen.

"Okay. I have orders for you to send off later today as well." Syaoran added.

"I'll do that once I get home. What did you want me to say in the email from that guy asking about the..."

"Tell him I won't make such dangerous things. I refuse to help with such dangerous activities." Syaoran replied.

"Will do." She smiled.

Though, her smile fell as she remembered she used to be part of the sort of activities Syaoran despised and had just said he wouldn't support. She could hardly blame him.

"What's wrong?" Syaoran asked softly as he pulled her close.

Sakura shook her head and smiled. "Sorry, I was just thinking is all..."

"What about?" Sakura hesitated for a moment. "Sakura, please talk to me." He said with concern.

She nibbled her lip. "I... if I had something bad in my past, what would you do?"

He frowned. "Well that depends on what it is and how bad it is."

"Just speaking hypothetically, could I suggest something? I just want to know what you would do." Sakura said.

He looked a bit confused and a little concerned. "Alright, go on."

"If..." Sakura didn't know what to say. She had no idea what she wanted to say.

"If I used to be an assassin for the government?"

He raised his brow in surprise. She waited, but still he didn't answer.

"Please Syaoran. Tell me." She begged.

Seeing that she seemed to really need to know, though he wasn't sure why, he sighed softly. "If you had decided to leave that life behind, I could probably get past it. But that really does depend on a whole number of variables." He replied.

Sakura nodded, "Okay, then here's a scenario: A girl who, at a young age, was taken by an assassin who worked for the government and forced to become one herself to survive. She later quits because she gets a job she likes more."

"And in this scenario, am I and this girl in love?" he asked with a small frown. She nodded. He sighed heavily. "That's...a tough one. I think I'd be angry at first, but she didn't have a choice-she grew up learning that killing was okay. I can't really blame her for that, but it doesn't make it right."

"You said you'd be willing to look past it based on certain things..."

"Well, yes and no. If they had truly decided to quit, to give up on that life, I would be willing to trust her." Syaoran explained.

Sakura nodded. "But...not love, right?"

"I'm already in love with her in the scenario." He pointed out.

"I see. That's true." She giggled. "Sorry for the crazy question."

Syaoran shrugged, "It was entertaining, I guess. Got any other strange questions?" he smiled.

"Nope."

Syaoran looked at her curiously. "Are you really okay?"

She rolled her eyes and smiled. "Yes, Syaoran, I'm fine. Now-breakfast."

He kissed her forehead, "Okay, sweetheart."

After eating breakfast, Syaoran headed to the workshop, though found his mind occupied with his earlier conversation with Sakura. It was strange, and something felt off about it, like she was referring to herself in that scenario. He smiled to himself and shook his head. The government didn't hire assassins. That was absurd.  
He laughed.  
But still...the nagging was persistent. Something wasn't right.

His phone rang, and he looked at the screen to find it was just Eriol. He frowned and answered the call.

"You know not to call me when I'm working." Syaoran spoke irritably.

"And yet you answered anyway." Eriol replied.

Syaoran sighed. "What is it you want?"

"I was wondering how things were going between you and Sakura." Eriol said.

"Things are great."

"Hmm. You sound like things aren't great." Eriol prodded.

"No, things ARE great, it's just that this morning we had a kind of odd conversation." Syaoran replied.

"Oh? About what?"

"She asked me what I would do if she had something bad in her past." Syaoran murmured and proceeded to explain about the conversation and the scenario.

Eriol was quiet for a minute, contemplating what to say. "Want me to do a background check on her?" he asked casually.

Syaoran frowned. "What? No! I trust her."

"But that story sounds like she's hinting at something about herself." Eriol countered.

Syaoran snorted. "As if the government would have their own assassin organisation."

"You might find you're wrong about that. The government is pretty ruthless." Eriol warned.

Syaoran was quiet for a minute.

"Well, what do you say?" Eriol asked.

"I trust her, end of story. I'm sure it's not as bad as that." Syaoran said in a finalising tone.

"Well, okay then."

"I have to go. Like I said earlier, I'm busy with work."

"See you later, then." Eriol ended the call, and Syaoran put his phone back in his pocket.

Sakura couldn't be referring to herself in that story. There was no way, right?

...

Sakura wiped her brow and screwed the top of her drink bottle off to drink the cool water. She had chosen to take a short rest by the fountain before heading home as she was so exhausted from the heat.

She sighed softly-the conversation she'd had with Syaoran earlier that morning was weighing on her mind.

"Damn, why did I even ask him that?" she muttered.

She couldn't deny her feelings though. It had been a long time since she'd felt this way, but she...

Before she could finish her thought, she noticed a familiar position on top of the building across from her. As she laid her eyes on the sniper, she grabbed her bags and jumped to the side at the same time she was shot at.

 _'They made sure I saw them on purpose!'_ She thought to herself as she ran through the crowds, zig-zagging through people. _'I guess this means they see me as a liability.'_

Meaning...

She was officially a target, as was Syaoran.

She turned the corner and then another, continuing to weave her way through the crowd until she found an alley to duck into. Sakura dumped the bags gently on the ground by her feet and pulled a gun out of her handbag, loading it.

Sakura specialised in several areas of assassination. As an assassin, she had learned to be invisible, and was good at not drawing attention to herself. However, she was also good at lulling people into a false sense of security.

And her enemies knew her weaknesses, and she knew theirs. She needed to catch the sniper off guard.

It took her a moment to come up with several plans, all to back each other up should one fail. She looked at her wristwatch and cringed-she was going to be late home at this rate.

...

Once she was prepared, Sakura stepped out into the street. She'd pulled on a wig of long brown hair that was loosely curled and a pair of red framed glasses. She didn't have the time or space to change her clothes, so she had to make do and hope for the best.

Her bag held all her necessities. As a magician, it was a simple spell to utilise-a storage spell that created a limitless amount of space in her bag.

She walked calmly, blending in with the crowd with ease and crossed the road as the crossing lights turned green. She couldn't return home until she'd dealt with the sniper. If she went home, Syaoran might be targeted at the same time.

She ran up the stairs of the tall building until she reached the roof, quietly opening the door and sneaking up behind the man dressed in black.

She lifted her gun and pointed it at the back of his head. "You should have moved while you had the chance." Sakura said.

"Really?"

Sakura span around, but it was too late. She didn't have time to comprehend what had happened. She felt warm blood pool from the wound, and she fell to the concrete ground.

She didn't get to see her attackers face. Instead, she watched as their feet left her lying in a pool of blood.

 _'I'm not dying here.'_ She stubbornly reached into her bag, pulling out her phone. Her vision was starting to fade.

She dialled the emergency number. She would not die yet.

* * *

 **Hello! I don't have much to say, except for thank you for all of your reviews and for reading :) Sorry (not really) for the cliff hanger :P what do you think happened? What do you think will happen? I'm curious.**

 **-runs away-**


	10. Chapter 10

Sakura woke in a white room with the sound of beeping machines surrounding her. She felt groggy, and her memory wasn't that great either.

"Sakura?" a soft voice called her name, one she knew well.

"Syaoran...?" her voice was hoarse, and her throat hurt.

His hand enveloped hers and he squeezed gently. "How are you feeling?" he asked, his expression one of concern.

"Tired...and sore." She managed to reply. "Am I in the hospital?"

"Yeah-police are standing outside your door. They said you were the one who made the call for an ambulance." Syaoran replied softly.

She nodded.

"I spoke to the doctor," he said, "You should be okay to leave today, if you want."

"Okay," she mumbled. "How long have I been unconscious?"

"Two days. You lost quite a bit of blood."

"I'm sorry." She apologised.

"Why? It's not your fault you were stabbed." Syaoran replied as he reached over and pressed the nurse call button.

"But-"

He kissed her forehead, "You're not working until you're better."

"At least let me do the admin work." Sakura pouted. "Otherwise I'll be bored out of my mind."

He frowned. "I'll think about it."

She smiled. The door opened, and the nurse walked in with a smile.

"Hello-how are you feeling?" she asked as she started checking Sakura's blood pressure and other stats.

"It's quite sore." Sakura replied, referring to the wound. "Otherwise I feel fine."

"Alright. I'll get you something to eat." The nurse smiled, and then left the couple alone for another few minutes before returning with a tray of boring, disgusting hospital food.

"The doctor will be down shortly. Can I get you anything else?" the nurse asked politely.

Sakura shook her head, "Thank you, but I'm okay."

The nurse looked her over once before she nodded, and Sakura watched as she left the room. Then, she turned her attention to Syaoran. "Have you been here the whole time I was unconscious?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No… They wouldn't let me stay past visiting hours."

She raised her brow slightly. "So…basically, yes."

Syaoran didn't answer. Instead, he handed over her phone. "I texted Tomoyo yesterday about what happened. She's been quite worried about you, and she's sad she can't visit because she's been so busy. You should let her know how you are."

Sakura took her phone and nodded. She turned it on and searched for Tomoyo's contact number, calling her to alert her that she was okay. The last thing she wanted was for her friend to become so stressed and upset to the point that she couldn't perform. Once the call ended, she ate what she felt like eating, and then they spoke with the doctor.

…

Sakura and Syaoran got home late in the evening. They opted to sit on the couch and watch a movie for the night but headed to bed when Sakura started falling asleep. Syaoran held her close, still processing that he'd nearly lost her. Sakura smiled even though she had her eyes closed.

"I'm a little disappointed that we can't go out on Sunday..." she confessed.

"We can do something here instead." He murmured.

"That's true...I kind of wanted to go to the beach though."

He chuckled. "We can go once you've healed."

"I'd like that." She smiled.

"Sakura, when I'd heard you'd been stabbed, I was so worried I'd lose you."

Sakura opened her eyes and met his worried gaze.

"You don't want to lose me?" she asked.

"Of course not. I love you." Syaoran said.

Sakura was speechless. They watched each other for what felt like hours. She smiled, tears forming in her eyes. "I'm so happy..."

He smiled softly and kissed her. "I'm glad to hear that."

"So, what will we do on Sunday?" she asked as she snuggled closer to him.

"Hmm, I'm sure we'll think of something." He said.

She giggled. "I'm sure we will."

...

Tomoyo arrived unexpectedly the next day surprising both Syaoran and Sakura. As soon as she had opened the door, Tomoyo had pulled Sakura into a tight but careful hug.

"When Syaoran messaged me that you'd been stabbed, I got so worried! Are you okay? You're taking it easy, right?" Tomoyo asked her friend as they all sat down in the lounge.

Sakura smiled. "Sorry I worried you. Syaoran's been keeping a close eye on me-he doesn't want me doing anything reckless."

Tomoyo sighed with relief. "Good-don't do anything that might open up that wound."

"I _promise_ I won't." Sakura insisted for what had felt like the hundredth time that day. Syaoran was constantly telling her not to do anything silly.

"She insists on working tomorrow." Syaoran piped up.

Tomoyo frowned. "Sakura, you've just gotten out of hospital."

"But I can still do admin work!" she protested, "Syaoran, come on..."

"You should really rest, Sakura." Tomoyo said.

"That's what I've been trying to tell her." Syaoran sighed.

Sakura frowned, "I get bored doing nothing..."

"I'm sure you'll find something." Tomoyo smiled. Sakura just pouted. She didn't want to be sitting around the house doing nothing all day. All of her hobbies included some kind of physical activity or being outdoors.

Syaoran's phone rang and he frowned. "Excuse me for a minute." He stood and walked into the kitchen, answering the call from his friend. "Hello."

"Hello again." Eriol greeted.

"It's unusual for you to call twice in a week." Syaoran said.

"Yeah, well after you sent me that message that Sakura had been stabbed, I got worried." Eriol replied, "How is she?"

Syaoran smiled. "She's doing fine. She's home, now."

"That's a relief." His friend answered. "By the way, I looked into her history..."

"You what!?" Syaoran shouted. "Do you not trust me?"

"Just hear me out, okay?"

Syaoran sighed irritably.

"She basically has no personal history. Everything after the death of her family is blacked out." Eriol said.

Syaoran frowned, "Blacked out?"

"Exactly as it sounds. There's nothing about her. She may as well be dead."

Syaoran thought for a long moment, processing the information Eriol had just given him. He realised that despite what Eriol had told him, he didn't much care.

"Syaoran? You there?"

"Yeah."

"What will you do?" Eriol asked.

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I don't care. If she has things in her past she doesn't want to talk about, then she doesn't have to until she's ready. I trust her." Syaoran replied.

"Well, if you trust her, then I have to trust your judgement. I'd like to meet her sometime though."

"You can meet her when you come here." Syaoran replied. "Stop snooping around, alright?"

"I'm just worried you'll get hurt again." Eriol murmured.

"I appreciate the concern, but I'm not a child. I can look after myself." Syaoran said.

"I know. Sorry."

Syaoran ended the call and headed back into the lounge where Tomoyo and Sakura seemed to be talking in low voices. Tomoyo smiled as she saw him and Sakura looked up.

"Everything okay? We heard shouting." she asked.

"Yeah, everything's fine." He smiled. "That friend of mine is just being a pest."

"When am I going to meet this friend of yours?" Sakura asked. Tomoyo raised her brow in interest.

"Well, he'll be visiting at some point, so maybe soon." Syaoran replied.

Sakura looked to Tomoyo, "I still haven't met his best friend, Eriol."

"Eriol Hiiragizawa?" Tomoyo asked.

"Yeah-you know him?" Syaoran asked.

"We've met a couple of times during conferences and parties." Tomoyo confessed.

"Oh wow. Small world." Sakura laughed.

"Sure is." Syaoran agreed.

Tomoyo smiled a little sadly, "I should head back now. I came during a short break, so I should really go."

Syaoran smiled sympathetically. "Being a famous opera singer must be exhausting."

Tomoyo shrugged, "I love what I do, but yes, it can be quite exhausting."

Sakura giggled, "I'm looking forward to your concert coming up. Right, Syaoran?"

He nodded agreement.

"I'm glad to hear that. Let me know how you're doing through text, okay?" Tomoyo replied cheerfully.

Sakura stood, "I will, I promise."

"Walk me to the door?"

"Sure!"

Syaoran watched as Sakura walked Tomoyo to the door and smiled. He was glad Tomoyo had stopped by to see Sakura. Ever since they got home, Sakura had seemed a little distracted by something. He wasn't sure what, but since Tomoyo had visited, she seemed happier.

Sakura returned to the lounge once she saw Tomoyo off and sat down beside him, resting her head on his shoulder.

"You seem distracted again." He said aloud.

She looked up at him. "Me?"

"Yes, you." He laughed.

"Sorry, I was just thinking is all." Sakura said, "About the person who stabbed me."

He squeezed her shoulder gently. "Are you worried they'll come here after you?"

"After us." She mumbled.

"You don't need to worry. I don't leave this house totally unprotected."

She looked at him with confusion.

"I'm used to getting unwanted attention, given my position. It's far worse back at home, but I like to be cautious wherever I'm living. So, there is a complex security system in place around the house."

Sakura breathed a heavy sigh of relief. "Oh, thank god..."

He kissed her temple. "We'll be fine."

She nodded and relaxed in his hold.

"By the way..." he murmured, looking at her with an amused smile.

"Uh...what is that look for?" she asked.

"Are you a virgin?"

She stared at him with an unreadable expression, something like embarrassed and awkward. "N...no..." she finally managed to mumble.

He laughed.

"Why are you laughing? It's so embarrassing being asked that!" Sakura complained, her face bright red.

"Your expression." He replied with a grin.

She buried her face in his shoulder, hiding her embarrassment. She wasn't a virgin, but she was shy despite what her old job had entailed. And while she and Syaoran hadn't engaged in sex just yet, they had engaged in other things.

"Ok, maybe it was a little mean to ask that." He chuckled.

She groaned. He hugged her and nuzzled her neck affectionately.

The sound of the door bell ringing forced them apart and Syaoran sighed. "We're getting a lot of visitors..." he muttered, standing to answer the door.

He walked down the hall and opened the door, freezing when he saw the woman he never wanted to see again.

Reina smiled sweetly. "Hello, dear."

Sakura appeared beside Syaoran and frowned when she saw who was standing on the door step. Her first instinct was to stand in front of Syaoran protectively, but she stopped herself.

Reina narrowed her eyes upon seeing Sakura. "You're _still_ here?"

"Sorry to disappoint you." Sakura replied.

"Get off my property Reina." Syaoran said coldly.

"Honey, I just want to talk-"

"No. Don't call me that. You have no right." He growled.

Reina tried to take a step closer but stopped when she saw a dangerous glint in Sakura's eye. "One more step and you'll regret it." Sakura hissed.

Syaoran looked at her with surprise. Reina looked pissed.

"How dare you!" Reina shouted.

"Get lost." Syaoran slammed the door in Reina's face and shook his head.

Sakura frowned-Reina had been surprised to see her still with Syaoran, which was odd. She decided she needed to keep a close eye on that woman. Something was off about her, and not just because she seemed self-entitled to whatever and whoever she wanted.

"Another person who doesn't know the definition of 'no'." He muttered as they walked back into the lounge room.

Sakura sat back down beside him, "We could call the police…" she suggested. "What she's doing is harassment."

He shook his head. "It won't do much. Her father is in a rather high place and can easily have all charges dropped, or make sure that the police don't do anything."

Sakura screwed up her face with distaste. "I hate corruption."

He smiled, "That makes two of us."

"Is there nothing we can do?" Sakura asked.

Syaoran sighed heavily. "I honestly don't know."

Sakura frowned. She wondered if maybe there was something she could do to make sure Reina never bothered Syaoran again. She just needed to make sure she kept her hands clean…

* * *

 **Uhoh Sakura, what are you thinking?**


	11. Chapter 11

Sakura was back to work after a few weeks. Syaoran had let her do minor admin tasks while she was healing, but now that she had healed, there was nothing to stop her from doing her work.

"Sakura, can you hand me that tool?" Syaoran asked, though she already had it in his hand before he finished asking. "Thanks." He smiled.

Sakura continued with her task and then set it to the side for Syaoran to work on, starting the next thing.

It went on like that for the rest of the week as well, with Sakura doing her usual jobs for Syaoran. The weekend creeped up on them quickly, and as he had promised, they went to the beach.

It was busy, given that it was summer, but they found a place on the sand to set their things down and relax. Sakura pulled her dress off to reveal her white bikini. Syaoran couldn't help but notice several scars on her body, and he wondered how she had gotten them. There was a new scar where she'd been stabbed in the abdomen.

"Should we go look at the rock pools later?" Sakura asked.

"Sure." He smiled.

"I'm going to go in the water, I'll meet you there." She then grinned and ran off towards the water.

Syaoran watched her as she ran into the waves and smiled.

"Syaoran? What are you doing here?"

He turned upon hearing his name and narrowed his eyes upon seeing who it was.

…

Sakura broke the surface of the water and turned to see where Syaoran was, spotting Reina with him. She frowned, deciding she needed to deal with this woman soon. Not because she was jealous, but because of the trouble it caused Syaoran. He clearly did not want to have anything to do with Reina, and yet the woman persistently pushed her boundaries.

Syaoran turned and started heading towards where she was in the water. Reina didn't look so happy being ignored and grabbed onto his arm tightly.

Sakura groaned as she rolled her eyes and headed back towards shore, heading towards where Syaoran was.

Syaoran spotted her and ripped his arm free. "Next time you touch me, I'm pressing charges for assault." Syaoran said to Reina. Reina clenched her fists and then stormed off.

"You okay?" Sakura asked, "She didn't dig her nails into your arm again, did she?"

He smiled and shook his head, "I'm a little irritated with her-well, more than irritated, but that doesn't matter. How's the water?"

"It feels great!" Sakura smiled, "Come on, let's go!"

He laughed as she pulled him into the water, splashing him and soaking him in water. He returned the favour, splashing her too.

…

The sun was setting by the time they decided to head home. Both were tired, but they'd had a really good time at the beach together. Neither of them had bothered to change out of their swim clothes, so Sakura had been walking around the house in her bikini with a cardigan over the top.

She lay on the couch with Syaoran, breathless from their long and passionate kiss. The TV was going in the background, but they were barely paying attention to it.

Syaoran was more occupied with the strings holding her bathing suit in place, tugging teasingly on the string at her hip.

"Go ahead." She challenged with a mischievous smile.

"You sure about that?" he raised his brow with a smile pulling at his lips.

She kissed him, and he kissed her back, his hand sliding up her back and pulling the strings of her top loose. He dropped the top on the floor and Sakura covered herself timidly, her cheeks red.

He cupped her cheek, gently caressing it with his thumb and he smiled tenderly. Shyly, she moved her arm allowing him to see her bare chest.

He knew she was probably feeling a bit anxious about what they were doing, so they'd need to take it slow, but he didn't mind. If she could feel comfortable with him like this, then that was all that mattered.

Gently, he cupped the swell of her breast and brushed his thumb over the hardened peaks. She arched her back sinuously to his touch, shivering pleasantly against his caresses.

His eyes were warm and full of love for her, as well as something else. She pulled him in for another breathtaking kiss, threading her fingers through his hair while his hand slid down her side to the strings holding the garment together.

As he was about to pull on them, the doorbell rang.

Persistently.

Syaoran picked up a shirt that had been lying on the back of the couch and handed it to Sakura. He couldn't help but feel a little annoyed that their fun had been interrupted. Sakura pulled it on as he stood and headed down the hall to answer the door.

Syaoran pulled it open and frowned. "What are you doing here?" he asked.

Eriol smiled cheerfully. "I thought I'd pop by for a visit."

"I told you to call!" Syaoran said irritably.

"Well I'm here now. Can I come in?"

"Syaoran, it's not Reina again, is it?" Sakura called out as she appeared beside him. Her eyes landed on Eriol and she raised her brow.

Eriol raised his too. "Did I interrupt something?"

"We went to the beach today and I couldn't be bothered changing." Sakura confessed. Syaoran sighed and stepped to the side to let his friend in.

"It was a hot day, wasn't it?" Eriol agreed. "I'm Eriol, by the way. It's a pleasure to finally meet you."

"I'm Sakura-it's nice to meet you too." She smiled.

They headed down to the kitchen where Syaoran started making tea.

"Are you having trouble with Reina again?" Eriol asked. "I can get a restraining order for you."

"She's being a pain, yeah, but a restraining order is not necessary." Syaoran murmured.

Eriol didn't look so sure. "It might be with her behaviour."

"And you're back in Japan, why?" Syaoran asked.

"A case came up. But I'm also here to see my friends." Eriol replied as he took his tea.

"A case? What kind?" Syaoran asked.

"Domestic violence. It doesn't look pretty." Eriol replied grimly. "Anyway, so do you enjoy working with Syaoran, Sakura?"

Sakura smiled, "Yeah, I love it. It can get stressful sometimes, but that doesn't matter. I'm learning so much from Syaoran about magic tools and objects as well." She answered cheerfully.

"Don't let him overwork you." Eriol winked.

Syaoran frowned and Sakura looked confused.

"Why would he overwork me?" she asked, missing the joke.

Syaoran smiled, "He's just kidding."

"Oh." She said. "I think I might go have a shower and get the salt and sand off me. I'll be back soon."

"Okay." Syaoran replied, and Sakura turned to leave and head upstairs.

Eriol smiled knowingly at his best friend who glared at him for a moment. "Sakura seems like a sweet girl." He said.

"She is." Syaoran murmured.

"What will you do about Reina?" Eriol asked seriously. "She's not the type of woman to just give up."

"She cheated on me. She can't expect to waltz back into my life like nothing happened." Syaoran muttered, "I told her if she came near me again, then I'd press charges."

"How did she take that news?"

"She was pissed."

"Just be careful-she's dangerous. She may try to hurt Sakura." Eriol warned.

"I told Sakura to be careful... I think she hates Reina as much as I do." Syaoran added.

Eriol smiled, "Have you ever seen Sakura get angry?"

Syaoran looked thoughtful. "The closest I've seen is when Reina dug her nails into my arm and drew blood. She can get pretty scary."

"I imagine so. I'm glad to see you're happy with Sakura. I was worried for a while."

Syaoran smiled, "You don't have to worry. Sakura's great-a little strange at times, but still great."

"Has she told you anything about her past?" Eriol asked quietly.

"No... but I think I have a few ideas of what might be there. I'll let her tell me when she's ready." Syaoran replied.

Eriol raised his brow. "Like what?"

Syaoran sighed. "In my line of work, and because of the family I was born into, it's not surprising that there have been attempts made on my life. I believe Sakura's original objective was to kill me."

Eriol examined his expression, finding no anger or malice. Instead, Syaoran's expression seemed almost understanding.

"You're not angered by that?" Eriol asked.

"I don't think Sakura ever wanted to. I'd need to ask her to be sure, but I do think her feelings for me are genuine." Syaoran said.

Eriol smiled. "She is really lucky to have you."

...

Sakura stepped out of the shower and dried herself off before walking out to her room to get dressed. She pulled on a satin nightdress and moved to grab her hairbrush, her foot hitting a box.

She looked down to see it was the box that held all her different ID's, and she bit her lip. Syaoran deserved to know about her. She wanted him to know everything. She was scared, but it felt wrong to hide it from him.

Sakura picked the box up and placed it on the bed, and then reached over for her brush to brush her hair. She decided to tell him everything. He had trusted her, so she wanted to give him her heart. She loved him. She was fully prepared for him to kick her out once he knew, but she wanted to be honest.

She headed downstairs with the box, finding that Eriol had left. Sakura gnawed her lip anxiously. For a minute she wondered if she should just head back upstairs and hide the box but stopped herself. She had decided to face it head on. There was no turning back.

She walked into the lounge room where Syaoran was sitting, and he looked over and smiled. Sakura felt herself shaking. She didn't want to lose him.

"Sakura? You're shaking. Is everything okay?" he asked.

She walked over with the box and sat down. He watched her with gentle concern, watching her troubled expression.

"There's something I need to tell you." She confessed. "Look inside this box."

After a moment, he took the box from her and sighed softly as he pulled out several passports to look at. He lifted his eyes to her face, waiting for an explanation. She swallowed hard and a tear slid down her cheek.

"I...I used to work for the government," she explained, "As an assassin."

Syaoran was silent.

After a minute of the crushing silence, she lifted her eyes to see he was watching her softly. It was NOT what she'd expected.

"I assumed as much." He replied. "But you quit, didn't you?"

She nodded. "I...I never intended to kill you right from the beginning. You're the first person asides from Tomoyo who tried to understand me."

"Is that why you decided not to kill me?" he asked curiously.

She shook her head. "I needed to get out of the business. I...I had my life stolen from me by the government."

"Why are you telling me?"

She looked at him with surprise, and her face fell. "You deserve to know the truth about me. I want you to know about me."

Syaoran studied her expression for a long moment. She was still shaking. "I had already guessed that you were sent to kill me." He confessed. "Didn't stop me from falling in love with you though."

She looked at him with shock and he smiled. "Tell me-was the time we spent together an act?"

Sakura shook her head quickly. "No! Every moment was real..."

"I think the same."

Sakura felt confused, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Why aren't you angry? Why don't you hate me?" she whispered.

He pondered for a moment.

"I didn't know what to think of you when we first met. I wanted to hate you, but I couldn't. You were very...interesting."

"Interesting?"

"You told me about your family's murder without hesitation. You told me about your abusive exes without hesitation. At first I thought you might be lying, but I knew you weren't. You guarded yourself against me, but you never showed me a false face." He explained. "I think it was when we went to the Aquarium that I realised it."

"Realised what?"

"That you weren't hiding your true self. You treasure those photos so much." He smiled. "It's cute."

She fidgeted for a minute. "You don't want to ask me about my real name?"

"Sakura Kinomoto is not your real name?"

"It is. But the ID's..."

"Let's burn them." He smiled. "You don't need them anymore."

She nodded. Syaoran put the box on the table and pulled Sakura into his arms. "I decided to trust you ages ago, just like you decided to trust me."

"Syaoran..."

"I love you." He whispered softly.

* * *

 **Hello everyone! Thank you for your reviews, they were fun to read! Are you surprised that Syaoran was so accepting of who Sakura was? Or were you expecting it after her "hypothetical" question?**


	12. Chapter 12

**Smut at the end. You've been warned :P**

* * *

Sakura had spent most of her night crying her heart out in Syaoran's arms, falling asleep once she'd exhausted herself. Once she'd woken in the morning though, she seemed to be back to her usual cheery self.

"Morning." Syaoran greeted as he kissed her cheek.

She snuggled closer to him, still half asleep, and he smiled. "I'll start tickling you if you don't wake up." He warned.

She opened her eyes tiredly. "Don't you dare." She mumbled.

He chuckled. "Ready for more work?" he asked.

"Mmhmm." She mumbled.

Syaoran smiled and squeezed her body gently. Sakura rubbed the sleep from her eyes and looked at the clock, finding it was seven o'clock.

"I'm making French toast for breakfast. Is that ok?" he asked.

"Sounds good." She smiled.

He sat up, "See you downstairs."

She smiled, "Okay."

He changed out of his sleep wear and left the room, leaving Sakura in bed. She sat up and stretched, a smile spreading across her face. She felt so lucky to have Syaoran. He was so sweet and understanding, and he'd been kind enough to accept what she'd once been.

Sakura stood from the bed and headed into her room to get dressed, and then headed downstairs. Syaoran was making breakfast for the two of them, so Sakura headed out to the letter box to get the mail. She looked through them and noticed one addressed to her as she headed inside.

Syaoran glanced up, "Anything interesting?"

"I'm not sure..." she murmured as she opened the envelope addressed to her. She froze as she read the letter. "Um...I need to go out for a bit today." She said.

"Does it have something to do with your old job?" he asked.

"Sort of." Sakura said uncomfortably.

She looked up as Syaoran pulled her close. "Don't get hurt out there." He said.

"I won't." She smiled, "I promise I'll be careful."

Syaoran kissed her gently. "Good."

They ate breakfast together and Syaoran saw Sakura off, worried about what might have been in that letter Sakura had gotten. He walked back into the kitchen and spotted the letter lying carelessly on the end of the bench. He picked it up and opened it, reading the contents and he frowned, feeling angered.

It was from Reina.

 _-I'm annoyed to see you're still alive. Come to the secluded warehouse behind the old abandoned shopping complex. We need to discuss some things.-_

Further down the page was Sakura's handwriting.

 _-Please trust me with this.-_

It seemed that Sakura had wanted him to know about the letter. He wanted to go after Sakura and stop her, but she had asked him to trust her.

It was hard...

It was frustrating...

But he needed to trust her like she trusted him, and so he would. He sighed softly and left the kitchen, stopping at the lounge room as something caught his eye. It was the box of Sakura's different identities.

With his interest piqued, he walked over and sat down, looking through them. There were so many he wondered how she kept up with all the different identities. He shook his head-they had talked about it and agreed to burn them. She no longer had to be anyone but herself.

He was about to stand when he spotted a photograph beneath one of the passports. He uncovered it to find it was a picture of Sakura looking cheerful, holding onto the arm of a man whose face had been scribbled over with black marker. Beneath that photo were several more. But she didn't look happy in any of them. She looked uncomfortable.

He wondered if it might have been her first serious relationship, or if it was someone else of importance in her life.

Syaoran tossed them back onto the table and stood. For now, he needed to do his work.

...

Sakura looked up at the old run-down building with a cold look in her eyes. She had a sneaking suspicion when she'd been stabbed that Reina was trying to have her assassinated, not the government, and her letter had confirmed her thoughts.  
However, she refused to die, and she refused to let Reina ruin Syaoran's life.  
So, a little scare should put the woman in her place.

With a small merciless smile, Sakura started her infiltration. She suspected that Reina would have men ready to shoot her upon entering the warehouse, so she opted for entering through one of the back exits.

She pulled a set of lock pickers from her bag to get rid of the pesky locks, and carefully opened the door slightly while using her make up mirror to peer around the corner. Seeing it was clear, Sakura headed inside, silently making her way down the hall.

As she had suspected, Sakura spotted a sniper ahead who had their eye trained on the door. She smiled and walked up behind them, quickly dealing a blow to the back of their neck and effectively knocking them out. She picked up the gun and removed all the ammunition, allowing it to clatter to the floor.

Then, she carried on.

Sakura found the room Reina was waiting in, likely waiting for the sniper to bring Sakura's lifeless body to her. She slid inside without a sound and crept up behind Reina, pulling out her gun.

"Hello." Sakura greeted, making Reina jump.

The woman spun around and spotted Sakura holding a gun, her face a mixture of horror and surprise.

Sakura smiled coldly. "I believe this is the second time you've tried to have me killed."

"How are you still alive!?" Reina shouted.

"I'm familiar with the field of assassination. You see, I just recently quit being an assassin myself." Sakura replied. "Now tell me-what do you want with Syaoran? You've hurt him enough."

Reina's jaw was hanging wide open. Then, she scowled. "You think you can replace me? I am perfect for him! I'm beautiful and smart, far better than you will ever be."

Sakura took a step forwards, her gun still pointed at Reina. "Here's what will happen. You will leave Syaoran and I alone, or I will come after you. I know how to make things look accidental."

"Are you threatening me?"

"Yes."

"I'll tell Syaoran you're an assassin."

"You can't tell him if you're dead, and besides-he already knows. I told him myself." Sakura replied dully.

Reina shook with either fear or rage, which one Sakura couldn't tell. "You...you bitch..."

"If I see or hear from you again-or if Syaoran does-I won't hesitate to make your life miserable. You cheated on him and shattered his heart into tiny pieces. The least you could do is let him heal after what you did." Sakura spoke coldly.

"I told you, that wasn't my fault." Reina snapped.

"You made the decision to start a relationship with Syaoran at the same time as another man." Sakura replied, "No one else decided for you, so stop playing the victim."

Reina had nothing to say for herself.

Sakura smiled, "Now, heed my warning, or I promise things will get difficult."

...

Syaoran looked over as he heard Sakura come in and he smiled. She was unscathed, so that was a relief, and she seemed to be in an okay mood.

"What happened with Reina?" he asked as he turned back to his work.

She sat down in her chair and started working. "She had a sniper waiting to shoot me once I was through the front door. I used a back entrance though." She replied. "She's a little shaken up, but alive. I don't think she'll bother us again."

Syaoran smiled awkwardly. "What did you do to her?"

"Not much. We had a little chat. Basically, I warned her that things would get very difficult for her if she tried to get in your way." Sakura explained. "I have no tolerance for people who hurt you." She added softly.

Syaoran stood and walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. Sakura gasped as his lips brushed her neck, his teeth nipping her pulse.

"Syaoran wait-we're working..." she protested weakly.

He smiled against her neck and pulled away, kissing her temple before walking back over to his own chair. Sakura's face was bright red, and her eyes glazed.

"Thank you." He smiled, and then returned to work.

...

Sakura walked into the lounge room after dinner and spotted the photographs on the table, bringing back unpleasant memories. She picked them up and sighed heavily.

"Sorry-I went through what was in the box." Syaoran confessed as he walked in behind her.

She shook her head. "It's okay, I'm not mad. I just didn't realise I still had these."

Syaoran sat down, "Who's the man in the photos, if I may ask?"

Sakura was quiet for a long minute. "He was my mentor...the man who murdered my parents."

"Come here," Syaoran spoke softly.

She put the photos back in the box and he put it under the table. Then, she sat down beside him and he pulled her back against his chest.

"Let's try and just enjoy ourselves, ok? I know your past won't go away-it's, impossible-but you can create your own future." He said softly.

She felt herself smile. "You're right. Thank you."

He gave her body a small squeeze and she relaxed against him, turning her attention to the TV. She wasn't really paying much attention to it-she was thinking about what she could do for Syaoran, since he seemed to do so much for her.

She turned herself and gained his immediate attention. He raised his brow, unsure of what she was about to do. Her cheeks were a soft pink. Before he could ask what was on her mind, she leant in to him and kissed him. She seemed timid about something, kind of shy, but he wasn't sure why.

She licked his bottom lip in plea for entry, and he parted his lips for her, allowing her to explore his cavern. As they kissed, Sakura undid the buttons of his shirt and moved to his jeans to do the same.

They parted from their kiss to catch their breath, both looking into each other's eyes. It wasn't like Sakura to initiate these sorts of moments, but Syaoran wasn't going to complain.

Sakura watched him as she slid her hand into his pants, wrapping her slender fingers around his length. He tensed beneath her as she started moving her hand, sending jolts of pleasure through his body.

He gripped her hips and thrust against her hand, and she tightened her grip slightly. He slid his hands beneath her dress and up her thighs, wanting to feel more of her skin.

As she moved her hand, he could feel something tightening in his abdomen, threatening to burst at any moment. A small moan escaped her lips, sending him over the edge, and he came.

Syaoran removed his hands from beneath her dress and she whimpered from the loss of contact. He undid the zip on the back of her dress and pulled it over her head to reveal her white lace bra and underwear.

"Sakura, do you want to go upstairs to our room?" he asked.

She nodded and moved to stand up, stumbling lamely with her legs threatening to give out beneath her.

Syaoran caught her and swept her up in his arms, carrying her up the stairs with ease as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Thankfully the bedroom door was already open, so once inside he kicked the door shut behind himself and walked over to the bed where he gently settled Sakura in the sheets.

He shrugged out of his shirt and peeled his pants off before joining Sakura, pulling her leg over his hip as he kissed her.

Sakura thread her fingers through his hair, pressing her body against his. Syaoran undid the clasp of her bra and pulled it from her slender frame, eagerly cupping one of her breasts. She blushed intensely, and her body stiffened beneath his caress, which he noticed immediately.

"Are you uncomfortable by this?" he asked softly.

She shook her head quickly. "I'm just not used to this, is all..." she replied.

He furrowed his brow in confusion. "Did any of your previous partners do anything to make you feel pleasure?" he asked.

"N-not really..."

He stared at her for a moment, shocked. Then, he relaxed. "Tell me if anything hurts, or you want to stop, okay?"

She smiled softly, and he was sure he spotted a hint of relief in her eyes. "Thank you."

He leant in and kissed her softly, but their kiss quickly became fiercer and more filled with desire. He parted from her lips and trailed kisses down her neck until he reached her chest; he cupped one of her breasts in his hand while he used his mouth to pleasure the other.

Sakura elicited a small breathy moan as she thread her fingers through his hair, a painful ache present between her legs.

"Syaoran..." she moaned his name and he parted from her breast in favour of kissing her lips.

As he kissed her, he slid his hand slowly down her stomach until he reached the waistband of her lace panties.

He slid his hand in and dipped a finger into her navel, brushing against her sensitive pearl making her release a small moan. Sakura parted from their kiss and arched her neck, her breathing turning to gasps as he brought her over the edge.

Her muscles seized, and something dripped down her inner thigh.

Syaoran peeled her panties down her long slender legs and tossed them on the floor before he positioned himself at her entrance, and slowly pushed aside her walls. Sakura gripped his shoulders and arched her back-she'd never felt pleasure like this before. Syaoran made her feel good, and she loved it.

She wriggled beneath him, adjusting to his size and then she relaxed. Her glassy green eyes locked with his loving amber as he leant in to kiss her softly, caressing her cheek gently with his hand. She smiled, her cheeks a pretty pink, and he nuzzled her neck affectionately before he started moving his hips, setting a steady pace.

She lifted her hips to meet his thrusts, her breaths coming in rapid gasps.

He shifted his weight slightly and started striking something deep within her, sending sharp jolts of pleasure throughout her body. She moaned into his neck, something tightening like a coil in her abdomen with each thrust, the feeling becoming almost unbearable.

Then, it burst, and her muscles clamped down around him like a vice. He thrust harder, until he finally came over the edge and she felt something warm coat her womb.

They both panted, trying to catch their breath. Their skin was covered in a thin layer of sweat, but neither cared. Syaoran pulled the blankets up around them as he lay down beside Sakura, tangling his legs with hers as he pulled her against him.

Her body ached pleasurably, and she felt exhausted, but happy. She smiled at Syaoran and he nuzzled her cheek affectionately before kissing her softly.

"I love you," she whispered happily.

He smiled softly. "I love you too."

Her eyes began to droop as she started to feel tired, so she closed her eyes and snuggled into his warmth, falling asleep.

* * *

 **I have been playing wayyyy too much Stardew Valley lately.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hello! All questions about Sakura's family will be answered in future chapters~**

* * *

Although the summer heat was nearly unbearable, it was still didn't stop the young couple from working through it to the best of their abilities. Sakura finished sending off the last of the packaged orders for the week and returned to her desk to finish off some admin work she'd been putting off, mostly because when she sat still for too long in the heat, her brain started to become sluggish and it became difficult to concentrate. It was boring stuff-nothing interesting-but it needed to be done.

Syaoran was busy working on a large order for a school, so the next few weeks were going to be very stressful. Not that she minded-she loved what she did.

A knock on the door distracted her and she looked up as Syaoran walked in, carrying a cool drink and something to eat for her. "How are things going?" he asked.

She smiled, "Things are fine, I think. The heat is driving me nuts though. What about you?"

"I'm working as fast as I can. Orders like this can take a long time to finish. Thankfully these items are for next year's students and aren't urgent." He sighed.

She giggled. "You don't seem thrilled."

"I'm a small business-I'm not equipped to handle such large orders." Syaoran groaned.

Sakura stood and walked over to him. "On the bright side, that must mean your work is exceptional." She smiled.

"What are you hoping to get with flattery, sweetheart?" he asked with a teasing smile.

"Maybe a pay rise?" she joked.

Syaoran laughed and pulled her close, his fingers playing with the hem of her dress as he kissed her.

"Wait-we're still working..." she said.

"We're on break." He replied. He had a point.

"B-but, in here...?"

"There's a couch."

Sakura felt her face turn red as she felt her hormones going out of control, her legs trembling beneath her. As he kissed her, she felt a moan escape her throat and he picked her up, carrying her over to the couch.

…

After some intense love making, they both got dressed. Sakura was distracted by her phone going off, alerting her that she had a message.

"Tomoyo?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura nodded, "She wants to catch up before the concert."

"Wasn't she doing a performance in England this week?"

"Yeah. I wonder if it got cancelled...?"

Syaoran kissed her forehead and stood, "I'll leave you to do your work."

"Okay, see you later." She smiled and watched him leave the office. She stood, her legs a little wobbly, and walked over to her desk to eat her lunch and do her work.

...

Tomoyo hugged Sakura tight when they met up at their favourite cafe. As usual, Sakura ordered herself a slice of strawberry shortcake.

"So why are you back so suddenly, Tomoyo?" Sakura asked.

"Something happened that resulted in the show being cancelled, which kind sucks, but oh well." Tomoyo sighed softly.

"I'm sorry to hear that..." Sakura smiled sympathetically.

"It's been rescheduled for next month, so it's not a huge deal." The songstress shrugged. "Anyway, how are things between you and Syaoran?"

Sakura blushed. "I told him about my former job..."

Tomoyo gasped. "And? Was he okay with it?"

Sakura nodded, "He was really understanding about it...it kind of relieved me but scared me too." She confessed.

"He probably realised you weren't faking your time with him." Tomoyo said.

"You realised that too?" Sakura asked with surprise.

Tomoyo giggled. "You're my best friend. I can tell when you're putting on a mask, and with Syaoran you seem to have really opened yourself up."

Sakura smiled. "I wonder what made me change..."

"I'm not sure, but it's good. I'm happy for you Sakura-he's a sweet guy."

Sakura turned a deep shade of crimson.

"So do you guys sleep in the same room yet?" Tomoyo asked casually.

"Oh-yes, we've been staying in the same room together for a while now..."

A little smirk appeared on Tomoyo's lips as she sipped her tea.

Sakura's phone started ringing and she pulled it out.

"It's Syaoran." She said, "Hello?"

Tomoyo watched as her best friends face lit up seeing the name of her boyfriend, something that had never happened in the past. She looked so bright and cheerful talking to Syaoran, and it was easy to see that they belonged together.  
Previously in her last relationships, Sakura either ignored the calls or she just looked vaguely bored. There was no other way Tomoyo could describe the expression Sakura used to wear when it came to her exes. It was just dull. Bored. Tired, even.

Sakura finished her call, "He just wants me to pick up some things on the way home."

"Things for dinner?" Tomoyo asked.

"That, and some personal needs as well." Sakura replied awkwardly. Tomoyo hummed in understanding, a knowing smile playing on her lips. "T-Tomoyo, please don't make that face…" Sakura mumbled.

Tomoyo giggled, "You truly are adorable, Sakura. Oh-have you decided on a dress for the show yet? It's one of those formal nights."

Sakura shook her head, "Not yet. I don't really have anything suitable, so I might have to buy something."

"Maybe you and Syaoran can go out and look for one together." Tomoyo suggested.

"That sounds like a great idea-I'll ask him when I get home." Sakura beamed.

"I look forward to seeing your dress." Tomoyo smiled as she pulled out her phone to check the time. Her face fell, "Sorry Sakura, I have to leave… You know, work and all."

Sakura just smiled. "Don't worry, I get it. Don't overwork yourself though-I need my best friend!"

Tomoyo laughed, "I'll be sure to remember that. See you at the show!"

"Stay safe." Sakura replied, meaning every word she said. If there was one thing she had learned in the business of assassination, it was that businessmen and celebrities were at a higher risk of being killed.

' _Please stay safe…'_

…

After Sakura bought what she needed, she headed home. The clouds were dark and threatened a storm, which didn't surprise Sakura, especially with the hot humid weather. By the time she arrived home, it was already raining and thunder cracked loudly.

Heading inside, she found that Eriol had dropped in for a visit. The man smiled kindly at Sakura and Syaoran looked over.

"Hey, how was Tomoyo?" Syaoran asked.

Sakura smiled, "She was great! She said they rescheduled her show that was supposed to happen in London, but otherwise she seemed to be in a really good mood."

"Did she say why it was changed?" Syaoran asked.

"No, not really." Sakura replied.

"Tomoyo?" Eriol looked at Syaoran questioningly.

"She's Sakura's best friend. She's the famous opera singer." Syaoran explained.

Eriol's face lit up with recognition. "I've met her before. She's a lovely person."

"She is," Syaoran agreed. "A little eccentric though." He added, remembering the visit she had Sakura try on a bunch of different clothes, as well as when she helped Sakura pick out something to wear at the festival a while ago.

"Her show requires formal wear, and I don't have a dress, so I was wondering if we could go shopping on the weekend?" Sakura suggested.

"Sure." Syaoran smiled.

"Great!" Sakura sang and then bounced up the stairs.

Eriol looked to his best friend and smiled. "She's a lot brighter than she was the last time I was here."

Syaoran nodded, "She is-I think it's because she's a lot more comfortable having already met you."

Eriol raised his brow. "Did something happen between the two of you?"

"Well, yes and no." Syaoran shrugged.

"Oh?"

"She opened up to me about her past." Syaoran admitted, "About almost everything."

"You've totally lost me. Her past?"

Syaoran looked conflicted for a moment, wondering if he should tell his friend or not. It was not his business, but Eriol was already suspicious of Sakura's background, so it was probably best to put him at ease, otherwise he would more than likely pester Syaoran about it.

"You can tell him, if you want." Sakura's voice sounded behind them.

Syaoran looked over to see she was wearing a small smile. Eriol looked surprised at her sudden appearance.

"But Sakura..."

"He's been trying to warn you about me, right? Probably that my file is blacked out." Sakura continued.

Eriol looked uncomfortable.

"How did you know?" Syaoran asked.

"It was just a feeling I got." Sakura shrugged, "He's also a lawyer, right?"

"Yes, I am." Eriol answered.

She smiled. "I told Syaoran about my previous job-the job I decided to abandon."

Eriol watched her with a pensive expression.

She continued, "I used to work as an assassin for the government."

"And you're okay with this?" Eriol asked Syaoran.

"I've accepted that's what she used to do, yes." Syaoran replied. "I don't have to like it, but she didn't have much of a choice in the matter."

Eriol looked dumbfounded. He didn't know what to think of the predicament. "Wow... I really don't know what to make of this." He confessed. "Does Tomoyo know?"

"Yes, she's the main reason I quit." Sakura replied.

"She was?" Syaoran asked, and she smiled.

"Tomoyo was always asking me to quit, to find a job I loved and start living. I finally realised what she meant when I met you." She explained. "After all, being an assassin was all I knew. It was all I was groomed for. I didn't understand the concept of being able to enjoy something you did for a living."

Eriol still wasn't sure what to think of her, but he knew that Syaoran had decided to trust her despite what he had been through in the past, and so he would too.

"Okay, but please don't tell me you're getting married anytime soon." Eriol joked.

"Where did that come from?" Syaoran frowned in confusion.

"Nowhere really. Anyway, I should really leave. I have a meeting with this client in an hour..." Eriol said.

"See you later, then." Syaoran replied. "And stop snooping around."

He saw Eriol out the door and then returned to where Sakura was standing in the kitchen looking a bit lost. He pulled her in by the waist and kissed her softly.

"What's on your mind?" he asked softly.

"I think I'm just overthinking everything. I'm constantly worrying that you and Tomoyo might be targeted..."

"Wasn't the reason you originally applied for this job to kill me?" he asked.

"Well-it's what they wanted, but I..."

"It's not what you wanted to do."

She shook her head.

"So, I think we can expect me to be targeted again."

"Us." She corrected.

He frowned.

"I quit, remember? They'll want to silence me, I'm sure, especially since I'm with you." Sakura said quietly.

He was quiet for a minute. "You're not going to leave, are you?"

She looked startled. "N-no! Not unless you want me to, that is..."

"Well I don't."

She gnawed her lip. "It's Tomoyo I'm worried about the most..."

Syaoran lifted her up onto the bench with her legs wrapped around his waist.

"How come?"

"She doesn't have the same kind of security as we do." Sakura said, "Maybe I'm just overthinking everything. I mean, she has all of those female body guards, so she's not totally unprotected, but these assassins are people trained to kill powerful magicians as well."

"I think it's ok for you to be worried. I think I'd be more concerned if you weren't." he spoke softly. "Isn't there anything you can do? Like alert her body guards of the possible threat?"

She gnawed her lip. "I don't know if they know about magic. Besides, I know they're trained to deal with any and all threats…but…"

"What about letting Tomoyo know?" Syaoran suggested.

"Tomoyo knew the moment she asked me to quit she could become a target. It's kind of ironic, really." Sakura murmured. "What have I gotten everyone into?"

"You did what you felt was right. There's no shame in that."

She gave him a small smile, knowing he was right, but she still felt guilty. "Thank you."

He kissed her softly and then parted. "Anything for you."

...

Syaoran glanced at his watch for the umpteenth time. He was standing outside the female change rooms waiting for Sakura, who was trying on several dresses. She had been in there for over fifteen minutes.

"Sakura, are you ok?" he called out to her.

"J-just a minute..." she replied.

He waited patiently, wondering if maybe he should ask someone to help Sakura, but after a moment she pulled back the curtain to reveal the strapless hunter green dress she wore.

It was elegant and hugged her curves nicely, falling gently from the hips down.

Her cheeks turned red. "Does it look bad?"

He shook his head. "You look incredible."

Sakura blushed harder. He hadn't said the same about the others.

"Do you not like it?" he asked her.

"I like it-I'm just a little self-conscious."

"Why?"

"I'm not sure..."

"Would a shawl help?" he suggested, wondering if it might have to do with her shoulders being bare of material.

Sakura thought for a moment. "Actually...it might."

"Sorry for the intrusion, but I heard you were thinking about a shawl?" one of the staff members-a middle aged woman-was holding a few different kinds.

"Oh-yes." Sakura blinked with surprise.

"Would you like to try these?" the woman asked.

"Sure." She replied.

Syaoran stood back and watched as the woman helped Sakura, and by the end of it she had the dress, a shawl, and a pair of shoes. Sakura looked a little uncertain.

"Do you think I over did it?" she asked Syaoran.

"Not at all." He smiled.

"Then...should I get it all?" Sakura wondered.

"That's up to you. Do you feel comfortable?"

Sakura nodded.

"Then go ahead." He smiled softly.

Sakura relaxed, "Okay."

They bought the dress, shoes and shawl, and decided to sit down at a cafe. Sakura had ordered a hot chocolate and a slice of strawberry shortcake-again. Syaoran had opted for an iced coffee instead.

He seemed to be staring into the drink, lost deep in thought. "Sakura?" Syaoran asked.

"Mm?"

"Would you like to meet my family?"

She looked at him with surprise, but then smiled. "I'd love to."

Syaoran relaxed. "I have to warn you though-they're a bit chaotic."

Sakura giggled, "I'm sure I can handle it."

"Glad to hear it." He laughed.

Sakura wondered what his family was like-he didn't really talk about them much, but maybe that was because it had never really popped up between them. She knew he had sisters and he had spoken of a cousin, but he had never really mentioned names.  
She put a bite of cake into her mouth and wished she could introduce Syaoran to her family, but that was impossible with them being gone. She hoped that maybe, just maybe, they were watching over her from somewhere above her.

They headed home once they were finished and Sakura relished in the air conditioning. Syaoran smiled as he walked over to the couch and sat down, pulling Sakura against him.  
Sakura wriggled around and wrapped her arms around his waist and rested her head against his chest.  
She loved these moments they shared, where they were just content with the others presence and warmth.

It felt like home.

* * *

 **What did you think?**

 **I may be a little late in uploading the next chapter, as I am going to revise the recent chapters. I won't be changing anything drastic, but I do think there are some parts that need another look, parts that could be written better.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Um, sooo... I can't remember if I mentioned it, but in this story their relationship moves fairly fast. There's like two halves to the story, so, yep.**

* * *

The theatre they were at was packed full of hundreds of people all waiting to see the performance of the famous opera singer, Tomoyo Daidouji. Thankfully the weather had cooled down a bit as they neared autumn, so the theatre wasn't so stifling as it might have been during the earlier summer.

Sakura sat with Syaoran in the VIP seats, thanks to Tomoyo's tickets, and they would be meeting with her after her performance.

"Wow, you can really see everything from here." Syaoran murmured.

"I know. I'm so lucky I have Tomoyo as my best friend." Sakura giggled.

"Yes, you are." He chuckled. "Not only do you get free tickets, but you also get good seats."

Sakura gave him a smug smile, pleased with herself. Then, the lights dimmed and for a moment everything was dark. Then, the stage lights centred around a figure. Tomoyo started to sing, her voice filling the halls and Sakura relaxed. She had always found Tomoyo's voice to be calming.

She was so entranced by the calm and gentle music that she didn't realise the show had ended until there was a deafening round of applause for the songstress.

Sakura looked to Syaoran with a bright smile, "Isn't she incredible?"

"Yes, she is." Syaoran agreed, "I'm glad I got to see her perform live."

Sakura stood, "Come on, let's go see her!"

He stood, and she took his hand, leading him to Tomoyo's dressing room where she would be waiting. It took longer than they wanted to get there as they head to fight their way through the thick crowds.

When Sakura entered, she ran over to her friend and hugged her. "You were amazing Tomoyo!" she said.

Tomoyo giggled, "You always say that."

"Because it's true." Sakura replied, "Right Syaoran?"

Syaoran nodded agreement. "You were incredible out there."

A slight blush appeared on her cheeks. "You guys flatter me."

"We're just being honest." Sakura smiled.

"Sakura's been talking non-stop about how talented you are. Thank you for the tickets." Syaoran smiled.

Tomoyo smiled. "She talks a lot about you as well. I've never heard her talk about anyone the way she talks about you."

Sakura blushed madly.

"Oh, I guess I'm a very lucky man." Syaoran laughed.

"Sakura, could you give us a moment please? We won't be long." Tomoyo smiled.

Sakura looked confused, "Okay, sure."

Sakura stepped out of the room, and Tomoyo sighed gently. "She's really changed a lot since meeting you." She said, "I'm really glad to see her happy."

Syaoran smiled. "She's a sweet person."

Tomoyo nodded. "She's told you everything about her past, right? About how she was an assassin and her mentor killed her family?"

Syaoran nodded. "Yes. She did."

"I'm glad you didn't walk away from her. If you had, she might have broken completely." She said softly.

Syaoran felt confused. "Why...?"

"I didn't think she'd told you about the first man she ever loved. I'm not surprised." Tomoyo murmured. "I can't tell you everything, but the last time she opened up to someone, they rejected her harshly. So, she blocked herself off."

Syaoran wasn't sure what to think. He had wondered if there was something more to her past other than just being an assassin, but he hadn't asked in fear of upsetting her. "I love Sakura, despite her past. Nothing will change that." He spoke strongly.

She smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Make sure she knows it."

Syaoran nodded. Tomoyo stood and walked over to the door, walking out to join Sakura. Syaoran stood in thought for a long moment, wondering about his future with Sakura.

…

After some very passionate love making, the two simply enjoyed caressing each other, taking comfort in the others presence and love. Syaoran's hands roamed her skin and he kissed her often; she threaded her fingers through his hair and would press her body closer to his, desperate to feel more of his warmth.

He squeezed her body gently, "Tired?" he asked.

She smiled, "And whose fault was that?"

Syaoran chuckled.

"Syaoran?" she murmured.

"Mm?"

Sakura was quiet for a long moment. She seemed tense. "You...you won't leave me, will you?"

He blinked. "No. I don't intend to, anyway." He replied. "What brought this on?"

"Sorry... I'm just being a bit over-sensitive." Sakura said quietly. "It's been a long time since I was in a serious relationship."

Syaoran smiled and kissed her softly on the lips. "It's ok. I love you the way you are, and I want you to be comfortable. I'm not leaving."

She smiled gently and caressed his cheek. "Thank you Syaoran."

"You know, if we don't get to sleep, neither of us will get up for work tomorrow." He said lightly.

Sakura laughed, "You were the one keeping me awake,"

"Can't really deny it, can I?" he laughed, "Goodnight."

She kissed his cheek and then closed her eyes, drifting into a peaceful slumber.

...

Work that week was exhausting for the both as they hurried to fill orders and organise various paperwork that needed doing. By the end of the week, Sakura was completely worn out and Syaoran didn't blame her.

It was the same for the next three weeks as well. Working tirelessly to get projects done, filling out more paperwork, sending some orders off, and then repeat.

After a particularly exhausting week, Sakura and Syaoran decided against going out for their usual weekend date and opted to stay home and watch a movie while cuddling together on the couch.

"We've been together for almost six months." Syaoran murmured as he braided some of Sakura's hair.

"That's true." She smiled. "Autumn starts next week. I'm kind of looking forward to the cooler weather."

"Me too." He laughed.

She looked slightly distant, and Syaoran was hesitant to ask if there was something bothering her. So, it was a huge relief when she spoke.

"Syaoran, about the other week when I was upset..."

"Are you talking about when you asked me if I was going to leave you?" he asked softly.

She nodded. She had finally managed to gather the courage to tell him about what had happened, but she was still scared. She hated the memory and had been trying to completely ignore it for so many years.

"The last time I was in a serious relationship with someone, he left me without saying a word." She confessed.

Syaoran turned the TV volume down low.

"I would never do that to you."

She smiled, "I believe you."

"Can I ask what happened...?"

Sakura thought for a moment. Syaoran wondered if she was thinking about not saying anything.

"His name was Zen." She started. "While I was growing up, my mentor always told me that I had to forget my emotions. I always thought it was wrong-as long as I felt nothing for the target, it didn't matter."

Syaoran found himself rubbing her back gently, trying to keep her calm and comforted.

"I met Zen at a party one night. It was a government function, and he worked in the finance department.

"He asked me out first. We dated for several months and decided to move in together. It was after he moved in that he asked me the question-if I would kill someone for him."

Syaoran looked shocked. "How could he just ask that of you? That's terrible."

Sakura nodded sadly. "My mentor had always told me that I should never kill someone unless it's an official job." She explained, "I told that to Zen, and he went on about how I didn't love him because I wouldn't kill someone for him. He then went on to say that the only reason he was dating a murderer was so he could get his promotion at work."

"The person he wanted you to...kill, was in his way then?" Syaoran murmured.

Sakura nodded with tears in her eyes. "When I came home after work the next day, he was completely gone. I really loved him, and he loathed me." She whispered as tears trailed down her cheek.

"He said he was disgusted with me, that I was a horrible person... So... so I shut myself off from the world."

Syaoran held her gently and wiped her tears away with his thumb. "He was an asshole."

Sakura looked at him with surprise.

"He didn't bother to ask you why you ended up working for the government. He just assumed things." He explained. "You're not a horrible person, Sakura."

"But...but I've got so much blood on my hands..."

"It was all you knew. All you were allowed to know. Your childhood was robbed from you, and you were forced into something no living person should be forced into." He said softly. "But you found the courage to quit and leave that life behind."

"Syaoran..."

He smiled softly and kissed her. "I've accepted your past-all that matters now is who you choose to be."

She looked a bit confused and a little worried for a moment, and he continued.

"You can be Sakura the Assassin, or Sakura the magician's wife."

Sakura's eyes widened. "Syaoran...are you proposing...?" she whispered.

He smiled softly, and happy tears swelled up in her eyes, spilling down her cheeks.

"Yes," she whispered, "That's what I want."

He gently cupped her cheek and kissed her softly. "Then let's get married."

* * *

 **I told you :P they're choosing to do this because it feels right to them. I know people who've had relatives get married after four months. No joke.**

 **I'm uploading the next chapter in a few minutes since this one is short.**


	15. Chapter 15

"Are you SERIOUS!?" Tomoyo squealed in excitement, gaining the attention of the entire cafe.

"Keep it down, Tomoyo!" Sakura panicked, begging her to sit back down in her seat.

Tomoyo sat down but her eyes were sparkling with excitement. "You're not messing with me, right? This is really happening?"

Sakura nodded. Sitting on her left ring finger was a gold ring adorned with diamond and emerald.

"It's really happening. I know it's only been six months, but it feels right..." Sakura blushed.

"I'm soooo happy for you, Sakura!" Tomoyo beamed, "So, how did it happen?"

Sakura smiled. "It was nothing fancy...we had decided to stay in instead of go out, since we were both exhausted from work. We were both lying on the couch when he asked."

"Aww, that's so cute!"

Sakura blushed. "We went out the next day to find me a ring. He said he wanted me to be wearing something I liked rather than a plain diamond ring."

"I think that ring suits you perfectly." Tomoyo smiled.

"Thank you Tomoyo. You're the most amazing friend anyone could ever ask for." Sakura smiled brightly, "And that's why I'd like you to be my maid of honour."

"Of course, I will! There is no way I'm missing your wedding!" Tomoyo squealed excitedly. "Please, please can I make your dress?"

Sakura blinked. "But-when would you find the time?"

"Trust me-I can do it." Tomoyo replied, her eyes begging Sakura to say yes.

Sakura smiled, "Okay, but we have to go shopping for your bridesmaid dress together, as well as some other accessories."

"Of course! Oh, wow Sakura, you're really getting married..."

Sakura giggled at her friend's excitement.

"So how is Syaoran? Oh-have you even met his family yet?" Tomoyo asked.

"Syaoran broke the news to his family last weekend. He was really worried for some reason-I thought that he was worried they might get angry, but it was the total opposite." Sakura laughed.

"They were all excited?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura nodded. "They're coming here this week. I'm actually quite nervous."

"I bet they'll love you." Tomoyo said kindly, "Syaoran does, after all."

Sakura blushed.

"So, when's the big day?"

Sakura laughed, "In the middle of November. The date will be on the invitation."

"Ooh, a winter wedding." Tomoyo beamed.

"It will be inside though. It's a beautiful place." Sakura smiled.

Tomoyo looked surprised. "It's not a church?"

Sakura shook her head, "No."

Tomoyo smiled, "I'm so excited for you!"

"Thanks, Tomoyo." Sakura giggled.

…

Meanwhile, Syaoran was busy finishing off an order for a client while he chatted with Eriol. When Syaoran had told him that he and Sakura were getting married, Eriol had looked at him like a stunned owl.

"But it's only been what? Six months!?" Eriol replied.

"I know, but it feels right." Syaoran replied.

Eriol leant back in his chair. "Oh boy..."

"What? You don't like her?"

"She's a lovely person and I like her just fine, but what if someone comes after her due to her past?" Eriol asked.

"We talked about that. We both decided we'd face any issues in the future together, including her enemies." Syaoran explained.

"And you're totally okay with that?" Eriol asked incredulously.

Syaoran threw him a sharp glare. "How many times do I have to say it, Eriol? I know exactly what I'm risking, and I'm doing this because I want to."

Eriol held his hands up in defence. "Ok, ok." He said, "I was just worried. You've been hurt badly before...I just don't want the same thing to happen."

"Sakura wouldn't cheat."

"You said the same thing about Reina." Eriol retorted.

"Sakura's been abused and had her heart shattered by her previous partners. She's not likely to cheat." Syaoran snapped.

"Ok, I believe you-sorry."

Syaoran relaxed. "Why don't you try getting to know her better instead of mistrusting her all the time?"

"Do you have something in mind?" Eriol asked.

"Sure. I'll ask Sakura if she can get Tomoyo over for a day and the four of us can have a games night or something." Syaoran replied casually.

Eriol looked a little uncertain, but Syaoran didn't notice since he was too busy working on the spherical object in front of him.

"Alright, fine. Text me the details, okay?" Eriol sighed.

"Sure."

"So, when's the big date?" Eriol asked.

"Mid November. You'll know the exact date when we sort out wedding invitations." Syaoran replied. "I've got my family visiting this week."

Eriol's eyes widened. "What-everyone?"

Syaoran shook his head. "My sisters and Meiling. I would have liked for mother to be able to meet Sakura, but she's passed on..."

"I'm sure she approves of your decisions." Eriol smiled. "She might have been strict, but she really cherished you and your sisters."

Syaoran smiled. "Thanks."

"So... where are they staying?" Eriol asked.

"They'll probably stay here. It's fine-we have the space and all." Syaoran shrugged.

"Let's hope your soon to be wife can handle them." Eriol laughed. Syaoran snorted.

Eriol's phone went off, alerting him of a text. "Sorry, I have to go. There's something urgent at the office, apparently."

Syaoran looked up, "That doesn't sound good." He said.

"No. Hopefully it's just a false alarm. Remember to text me those details!" Eriol said as he walked out.

"Yeah I know, I know." Syaoran called back. Then, the door shut.

…

Sakura returned home late that afternoon carrying with her a bag of some groceries. Syaoran had agreed to teach her how to cook some new dishes, and she was looking forward to it. She found him in the kitchen eating an orange.

"Welcome home." He smiled.

"Hey, I bought the ingredients." She smiled cheerfully.

"That's great. Let's put them away for now until we're ready to make dinner." He replied.

Sakura nodded, "Okay."

"How did Tomoyo react to our news?" Syaoran asked curiously.

"Oh, she squealed, she cried, she hugged me, and dragged me all over the shopping district. I'd say she's excited." Sakura replied.

He laughed, "And is she going to be your maid of honour?"

Sakura nodded. "Yep!" she grinned.

"Eriol's face was priceless when I told him. I thought that maybe the four of us-Eriol, Tomoyo and us-could have a games night or go out for drinks or something." Syaoran said.

Sakura's eyes lit up. "That sounds like a great idea! I'll text Tomoyo now to see when she's next free!"

He watched as she searched her bag for her phone and bounced up the stairs. Syaoran smiled to himself. Things were perfect.

...

Sakura rushed about trying to organise documents and send off packages while counting their stock to figure out what they needed to buy more of at the same time. It was stressful, but it needed to be done.

"Sakura, add a new soldering iron to that list!" Syaoran called out.

"On it!" she replied quickly, dropping the stack of paper in her arms. She swore and scrambled to pick everything up. Unfortunately, she was going to have to re-sort it all again, much to her frustration.

The doorbell rang.

Sakura shuffled her signed papers around and stood, writing herself a note about the soldering iron as she hurried to answer the door as the bell was pushed persistently,

"Coming!" she called out.

She finally reached the door and opened it, finding five beautiful women standing on the doorstep. Four of them had striking resemblances to Syaoran, while the fifth had her long dark hair tied up in buns, and her eyes were a deep ruby colour. All five of the women stared at Sakura, who blinked.

"Um...how can we help you?" Sakura asked awkwardly.

One of the women with her long brown hair falling gently over her shoulders gave Sakura a smile.

"We're Syaoran's family-this is where he lives, right?"

Sakura suddenly clicked, and she realised who they were. "Ah! Yes, please come in." Sakura stepped to the side to let the girls in.

"Let me guess, he's working?" one of the four sisters-Feimei-asked.

Sakura nodded, "We've got this huge order we need to fill for a school along with other orders, so it's been a bit stressful." She explained, "I'll go let him know you're here..."

"You're busy too, right? We can help you out." Fuutie smiled.

"Oh-you don't have to..." Sakura blushed.

"We want to help our brother. Besides, we do the exact same stuff at home. The more of us working together, the quicker it will get done." The sister winked.

Sakura hesitated for a minute, but then nodded. "It would be great to have some help. Thank you, er..."

"Oh! Sorry for the rudeness, that wasn't our intention!" the woman gasped, and proceeded to introduce herself, Meiling and the other three sisters. "And you're Sakura, right?"

Sakura nodded, "That's me…" she answered nervously.

"Great! Let's get started, Sakura."

…

Syaoran stopped his work and looked up at the clock to find it was late afternoon. He stood and stretched before heading to the office to see how Sakura was. He was aware of how stressed she was trying to get so much done at once, and he wished he had more hands to help her. He opened the office door, stopping as he saw his sisters at the desk.

"When did you all get here?" he blurted out.

The girls looked up and grinned. "Earlier this afternoon-about one."

"You should have come and gotten me." Syaoran said.

They shook their heads. "Sakura said you guys were busy with large orders. So, we decided to help out."

"Thank you, but you didn't have to..." he mumbled.

"Now, now, you're getting married soon, so let us help you and Sakura with some of the stress." Feimei smiled.

Syaoran relaxed, "Alright." He smiled. "Wait-where's Meiling?"

"She's busy in the kitchen. Sakura went out to get the things you needed-she should be home soon. She's been out for a while."

Syaoran looked worried for a minute. "I hope she's not hurt..." he murmured.

"You worry too much."

As he was about to retort, the sound of the front door opening, and closing grabbed his attention. Sakura soon appeared around the corner with several heavy bags, which Syaoran immediately moved to help her with.

"Thanks." She smiled gratefully as he took some of the heavy load.

"Its fine-I'm sorry I didn't realise my family was here sooner."

"You were busy, and I didn't want to bother you. Besides, they're all sweet and really helped me get all my work done today. So, I can now help you out in the workshop more." Sakura replied cheerfully.

They placed the shopping in the workshop and then headed out into the kitchen where his sisters had moved to. Meiling was nearly finished with her cooking.

"It's about time you appeared!" Meiling snapped as she spun around to face him. Then, she broke into a smile. "I'm glad to see you're doing okay! And that you've got a great fiancée."

Sakura blushed.

"It's nice to see you too, Meiling. How is Xing?" Syaoran asked.

Meiling gave him a strained smile. "He hasn't got long left... the doctors think he won't make it past Christmas." She replied sadly. "He sends his regards, by the way. He's really happy for the two of you."

"I'll make sure to come and visit next month." Syaoran said firmly.

Meiling smiled softly. "Thanks. We'd like that."

"How did you find yourself such a cutie?" his sister, Shiefa, switched topic.

Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other and shrugged. "I hired her to help me out in the workshop and we decided to date." Syaoran replied. It wasn't exactly wrong... but it wasn't exactly the truth, either.

"Aww, that's cute." Feimei giggled.

"Sakura, when can we meet your family?"

Sakura froze, stunned by the question and a swirl of emotions stirred within her. There was an awkward silence when Sakura didn't answer.

"We can't." Syaoran said quietly, "Her family was killed."

Soft gasps sounded through the kitchen.

"Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry..."

Sakura managed a smile. "It's okay-you didn't know, so it's not your fault."

"Well, you're part of ours now. Think of us as your sisters too." Fuutie smiled kindly.

Sakura felt so touched by their words, so happy to be accepted by them. "Thank you-it really means a lot."

"Of course!"

"Great-now can I serve dinner? I need plates and cutlery." Meiling switched topic. It sounded rude, but she could tell from Sakura's expression that she wanted to get off the depressing topic of her family.

"I'll help!" Sakura piped up and moved to help her out.

…

After dinner, Syaoran's four sisters and Meiling filled him in on what was happening back in Hong Kong. The family business was thriving as usual, and there didn't seem to be anything unusual going on, which was a relief.

"So, you've all been safe?" Syaoran asked, his voice laced with concern and fear.

"We've been staying as safe as we can. No attempts have been made on our lives." Feimei replied. "And you?"

Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand gently. "I've been fine. Though Reina's been a pain."

The girls' faces darkened. "What has she been doing?"

"Well...asides from annoying me, she tried to have Sakura killed." Syaoran sighed, "It was scary."

"What the hell is that stupid girl thinking!?" Meiling shouted.

"Meiling, it's ok. I don't think she'll bother us again." Syaoran said quickly.

"If she does, I'll kick that bitch to the moon, after what she did." She growled.

"What did she do to Sakura?" Shiefa asked with concern.

"The person she hired to kill me stabbed me-but I called an ambulance! So, I was okay!" Sakura explained.

They all stared at Sakura with shock. Then...

"Aren't you angry with her?"

"How can you be so calm? She tried to murder you!"

"Syaoran, is she really okay?"

"That doesn't bother you!?"

Syaoran sighed heavily and Sakura quickly tried to calm them all down.

"I'm honestly fine, I promise, and of course it bothers me, but I have no proof it was her to begin with. So, I can't really do anything..." she tried explaining.

There was silence, and before the girls could blow up again, Syaoran stepped in. "Just let it rest. If Reina tries anything again, I'll settle the issue myself." Syaoran said.

The sisters looked at each other and sighed softly. "We're sorry for over reacting like that."

"It's fine." Sakura smiled. "I probably would have done the same thing."

Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand and she smiled at him.

"It's late and I kind of want to crash. Can we organise the usual?" Meiling yawned.

"Do you guys need blankets?" Syaoran asked.

"No, we bought our own. Is it still okay for two of us to use the bedroom upstairs?" Meiling asked.

"Sure-Sakura's moved all of her things into my room, so it should be fine."

Sakura nodded agreement.

"Great! Just don't be _too_ loud at night." Meiling winked.

Sakura's face turned a dark shade of red and Syaoran rolled his eyes.

...

After another long day of working, Sakura slumped on the couch. Shiefa handed her a hot cup of coffee with a smile.

"Long day, huh? Even with all of us helping." She said as she sat down.

Sakura nodded. "Sure was."

"I'm so glad he has you at his side." She smiled, "You're a really sweet person."

Sakura blushed, "Thank you..."

"Are you excited about getting married?"

Sakura nodded, "Yes-though I'm nervous too."

Shiefa laughed. "That's natural."

Syaoran walked in and sat down beside Sakura-he was absolutely exhausted as well.

"You're not working?" Sakura asked.

"Feimei and Fuutie kicked me out and told me to relax." Syaoran replied.

Shiefa laughed. "You do tend to overwork yourself."

Syaoran just grunted irritably in response. The doorbell rang and Meiling was quick to open it, making sure Syaoran didn't get up if he didn't have to.

Sakura rested her head on his shoulder and he slid his arm around her waist, the two of them enjoying their little moment-until Meiling walked in.

"There's someone from the government at the door to see the two of you." She informed them.

Sakura looked to Syaoran with confusion and anxiety, and he smiled comfortingly.

"We'll be back in a minute." He said to the girls.

Standing at the door was a man dressed in a black suit with a white shirt and purple tie. Sakura recognised him as her former boss. She stepped in front of Syaoran protectively, and Rin smiled.

"I'm not here to cause trouble, Sakura. I just want to talk privately with you and your fiancé." He said.

Sakura was still apprehensive. "Assassins are masters of deception-how do I know you're telling the truth?" she asked.

"You always were particularly careful. I'm here to talk about an agreement between us. I have a proposal for you." He said.

Sakura still didn't trust him.

"Sakura, let's hear what he has to say. I'm not totally helpless, either. I can protect myself if need be." Syaoran said softly as he squeezed her hand.

Sakura looked up at him with uncertainty, thinking it over in her head. "Okay..."

The couple stepped out of the house and closed the door. "We talk here." Syaoran said.

The man nodded.

Sakura frowned, "Are you here to kill me?"

"No, the opposite. The government has decided that you're far too valuable to have killed." He replied.

"So, you're here to take her back." Syaoran said, but his calm tone didn't hide his malice.

"Wrong again. As I said, we have a proposal for you."

Sakura and Syaoran waited for him to continue.

"You go free. You live your life how you want to with your new family and have the life that was stolen from you by us. We give you any information you want, and we ensure that your fiancé is never assassinated by any of our agents." He said.

"What's the catch?" Syaoran growled.

"In exchange, we want you to go undercover for some cases to gather intelligence information. You won't have to kill anymore, just gather information for us when we need it."

"And if I say no?" Sakura asked.

"Well, then expect a really rough time."

Sakura looked to Syaoran, who was watching her softly. She turned her attention back to Rin. "If you think that's enough to apologise for murdering my family, then you're wrong." Sakura snapped.

"Oh? Is there something more you'd like us to do?" he asked.

"I want to know why my family was targeted. And I want to be paid for my work."

"Of course, you will be compensated handsomely for your jobs."

"And my family?" Sakura demanded.

He was silent for a long minute. "I don't know all of the details, but I believe the assassination of your family was because the government viewed your parents as a threat."

Sakura felt all feeling leave her body as she slumped to the ground. What threat could they possibly pose? She wondered, and Syaoran asked that very question.

"I do not know all of the details, but perhaps this disc will give you the answers you seek." The man held out a disc for Sakura to take and she looked at it suspiciously.

"What you decide to do with that information is up to you. Also, you can stop hacking our system, thanks."

"I haven't been hacking it." Sakura replied coldly. "I did in order to get this job, though."

"You haven't been hacking our systems lately?"

"I just told you, no."

The man looked a bit concerned. He cleared his throat and then smiled, "Very well. You'll receive your assignments by mail-the usual for us magic folk."

"Alright." Sakura replied.

"I'll leave you two in peace. Have a good day."

They watched as the man walked off down the street, and Sakura looked at the disc and then to Syaoran. "We should look at this together." She said.

"If you want privacy, it's really not a big deal-"

She shook her head. "I'm going to be sharing the rest of my life with you. I want you to be there when I look at it."

Syaoran smiled softly. "Okay, love."

* * *

 **They've arrived! My head is killing me. Time to flop. Review?**


	16. Chapter 16

**Hey everyone :) thank you for your reviews. Again, not much happening in this chapter, and it's short. Again. So I'm uploading two chapters.**

* * *

After taking time to compose themselves, the pair turned and headed back inside, only to find his sisters and Meiling looking guilty. Syaoran rolled his eyes. "Really? Eavesdropping?"

"We're sorry." Fuutie apologised.

Syaoran sighed heavily. Sakura smiled, "I guess you have a lot of questions, huh?"

They all looked uncomfortable.

"It's ok. I don't mind." Sakura said.

"Sakura, you don't have to tell them." Syaoran said softly, but she shook her head.

"It's fine."

It was Shiefa who asked first. "Well...who was he and why was he asking for your help?"

Sakura smiled tiredly. "I used to work for the government as an assassin, and that man was cutting me a deal, since I basically betrayed the government."

Meiling's jaw hit the floor. "You? An _assassin_!?"

"Er, it is true..." Sakura said awkwardly.

"Woah." Feimei and the sisters gasped.

"B-but I quit so I could be with Syaoran..." Sakura mumbled, "Maybe I should leave the room."

Syaoran slid his arm around her waist. "Don't think badly of her. She didn't have much of a choice in her career." He said.

"Did the government murder your family...?" Feimei asked.

"Someone from the government ordered their assassination." Sakura replied. "I'm trying to find out who and why."

There was a heavy silence in the air.

"Gee...That's a lot to take in I guess." Shiefa said.

"Wait-the reason you took the job for Syaoran..." Fuutie said.

Sakura smiled understanding. "I never intended to hurt him right from the beginning."

"Then how... why...?"

Sakura blushed. "I may have hacked the system, so I could get this job."

Syaoran raised his brow. "You did?"

Sakura nodded. "To me, seeing that job offer was a way out of being an assassin. So, I made sure that my superiors saw it-they knew what you were capable of, so they needed their best for the job." Sakura mumbled. "It was dirty, I know-"

"That's amazing!" the sisters laughed.

"Syaoran, your fiancée is incredible!" Meiling added.

"I already knew she was." Syaoran replied flatly.

Sakura blinked with surprise. It certainly wasn't the reaction she had expected.

"Does that mean that there was never anyone wanting Syaoran dead to begin with?"

"As far as I'm aware." Sakura replied.

"Thank goodness!"

"I can't guarantee the future though." Sakura added anxiously. "I may have quit, but there are other assassins out there."

"It's fine, Sakura. I'm used to this." Syaoran said softly.

"But..." she went to protest but stopped herself. "Thanks."

He smiled and kissed her temple.

"So, what was this deal?" Shiefa asked.

"Undercover work, basically. They would leave us alone as long as I did the odd job gathering intelligence for them when they asked." Sakura explained.

"But they forced you to become an assassin! That's not fair!"

Sakura shrugged. "Maybe not, but I want my family safe. And right now, this is the best course of action."

Meiling sighed softly and hugged Sakura. "You may have had a questionable past, but it's clear to us how much you two love each other."

Sakura smiled with relief. "Thank you."

After their heavy discussion, they eased the tension by playing a game of cards before bed. The days that followed were full of hard work, with Syaoran's sisters helping out in the workshop while Meiling helped Sakura with the admin work. To both Sakura and Syaoran's surprise, the large order for the school was finally completed.

But, at the end of the week, the sisters and Meiling had to leave for home.

Sakura and Syaoran bid them farewell at the airport. The girls were very affectionate towards Syaoran and their new sister-in-law, showering them with hugs and kisses before boarding their flight. Once they had boarded safely, Syaoran and Sakura headed home.

...

Tomoyo finished taking Sakura's measurements and placed her tape measure away in her bag.

"So, you met Syaoran's family?" she asked Sakura who nodded.

"They're really lovely people. I think you'd get along really well with Meiling as well." She replied.

"That's great-I can't wait to meet them!" Tomoyo beamed. "And you said something about going to visit?"

Again, Sakura nodded. "Meiling's husband is really sick with cancer. He doesn't have long left."

"Oh no..." Tomoyo gasped.

"I really feel for her. I wish I could do more to help." Sakura added sadly.

"Poor girl."

"Eriol should be here soon, so why don't we go see what Syaoran's up to?" Sakura suggested.

Tomoyo smiled, "Sure."

Tomoyo had made sure her entire day was clear, so that she and Sakura could go find a silhouette she liked so Tomoyo could start on her wedding dress. Once they were done, they headed back to Sakura's and Syaoran's home, but not without picking up some cake first. Then, when they had gotten back to the house, Tomoyo took Sakura's measurements so she could start working on Sakura's dress.

Syaoran looked up from watching the sport on TV and smiled, "Aren't you two exhausted?"

"Not really." They both replied.

Syaoran just laughed. The doorbell rang and Sakura smiled, "I'll get it."

She ran down the hall to the door and opened it. Sure enough, Eriol was standing there with a pleasant smile on his face.

"Come in." Sakura greeted cheerfully.

"Hello Sakura. How are you?" Eriol replied.

"I'm doing okay-thanks for asking. What about you?" she asked.

"Oh, the same as always I suppose." He shrugged as they walked into the lounge room.

"You're late-that's unlike you. You ok?" Syaoran said as soon as they walked in.

"Sorry, I had to finish some paperwork for a case. You know, being a prosecutor for magic folk can be such a pain sometimes." Eriol sighed.

"Why?" Sakura asked.

"I'm not allowed to talk about cases, so I can't say anything." Eriol said.

"Oh, that's a pity. Your job sounds very interesting." Tomoyo piped up, gaining his attention. "My name is Tomoyo. I'm Sakura's best friend and her maid of honour."

Eriol smiled, "I believe we met once at a function. It's a pleasure. My name is Eriol."

"Yes, we did." Tomoyo smiled.

"How long have you and Sakura known each other for?" Eriol asked.

"Oh, several years now. Right Sakura?"

Sakura nodded with a smile, "That's right."

"And you know about her previous job?"

"Eriol!" Syaoran snapped.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably. But Tomoyo? Tomoyo was PISSED.

Her kind and gentle features had transformed to an ice-cold expression.

"I realise you're apprehensive about her past job, but why don't you try understanding how Sakura feels instead of trying to ruin someone else's happiness?" Tomoyo suggested.

"I wasn't trying-"

"Oh? You weren't? Syaoran's accepted her past, and he's the one marrying her. Not you." Tomoyo quipped.

Eriol had no response to that, because she was right.

Then, Tomoyo smiled brightly, "Hey Sakura-why don't we organise that cake we bought?"

Sakura nodded. "Sure. We'll be back in a minute."

The girls left the room and Syaoran immediately glared at his best friend. "Follow Tomoyo's advice. Otherwise, just try to get along with Sakura. She knows you don't trust her-there's no need to pour salt on the wound."

Eriol looked guilty. "Sorry."

"Prove it." Syaoran muttered.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Tomoyo was apologising profusely. "I'm sorry Sakura, I just got so upset when he said that, and-"

Sakura smiled, "It's ok Tomoyo-you were just standing up for me. Thanks for that."

"Oh Sakura, you really are such a sweet and kind person." Tomoyo said as she hugged Sakura. "I'm so happy for you."

Sakura hugged her friend back. "You're the most amazing friend anyone could ask for." She said.

Tomoyo pulled back with a smile. "Now-the cake."

Eriol and Syaoran looked up as Sakura and Tomoyo entered the room carrying plates. Sakura handed the two in her hands to Syaoran and Eriol. Eriol looked as if he wanted to say something.

"Is something wrong?" she asked.

"I'm sorry for how I treated you." He apologised.

Sakura just smiled. "You were just worried about Syaoran, right?" Eriol looked surprised. "You're a great friend, looking out for him like that. Right, Syaoran?"

"Sure." Syaoran rolled his eyes. Sakura laughed and then sat down to eat her cake.

"What kind of cake will be at your wedding?" Tomoyo asked.

Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other. "We're still deciding." Sakura said.

"You don't want strawberry shortcake?" Syaoran asked teasingly.

"I told you I wanted it to be something you liked-not what I get every time." She replied.

Tomoyo giggled, "What about two kinds? It's tiered, right?"

Sakura looked bewildered. "Yes, it is, but what do you mean?"

"Well, you could have alternating flavours. Like chocolate for the top, strawberry shortcake in the middle, and more chocolate on the bottom for example." Tomoyo explained.

"Can we do that?" Sakura wondered.

"We could ask." Syaoran shrugged.

"I think it's a great idea." Sakura smiled.

"Speaking of the wedding-how are invitations going?" Eriol asked.

"They're nearly done! Meiling was helping me with them, so there's not much left to do."

"How many guests will there be?" Tomoyo asked.

"We decided it would be small, so just close friends and family." Syaoran explained. "Our engagement party will be held in Hong Kong, so that will be where all of our contacts and extended family will be invited to."

"I'm a bit nervous, to be honest." Sakura confessed.

"Yes well, there will be a lot of people there." Syaoran said, "But I'm sure things will be fine."

Sakura nodded.

"What game should we play first?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura laughed, "Monopoly." She replied.

"Get ready to get beaten badly by Sakura. She's ruthless." Syaoran said.

"I'm guessing you know from experience?" Eriol asked.

"Yeah, kind of." He laughed.

"Okay, here we go!" Tomoyo set the game down on the table and started setting it up, handing out the appropriate amounts of monopoly money. Once they were ready, the ruthless game began.

…

Several hours later, Sakura was crowned the winner. It had been an entertaining game, with Tomoyo and Syaoran losing first, then Eriol after he lost all his properties.

"I'm pooped." Tomoyo sighed.

"So am I," Sakura agreed.

Syaoran looked at his watch, "It's nearly midnight. No wonder everyone is so tired."

Tomoyo stood, "I should head home. I have a lot to do tomorrow."

Syaoran stood, "I'll see you out the door."

"Oh, thank you." Tomoyo smiled.

The two left the room, leaving Sakura with Eriol. There was an awkward, tense silence between them, until Eriol spoke.

"Syaoran's changed a lot since he met you." He said, "You're the perfect fit to him."

Sakura smiled bashfully. "Thank you Eriol. I promise to take care of him."

Eriol smiled kindly. "If you need anything, don't hesitate to ask."

Sakura nodded, "I know."

Syaoran returned a few minutes later. "Everything ok?" he asked.

"Everything is fine." Sakura said, "We were just talking about you."

"About me?"

"I was saying how well the two of you fit together." Eriol answered.

Syaoran smiled, "I think we're perfect for each other." Sakura blushed again.

Eriol stood, "I should really leave as well. Tonight was fun-let's do it again sometime."

"Sure." Syaoran said.

"Well, see you later."

"Stay safe." Sakura added. Eriol gave her a smile and then disappeared out the door.

Syaoran looked to Sakura who stood up from where she sat on the ground and he took her into his arms, kissing her. She kissed him back just as passionately, her hands sliding beneath his shirt and over his back. He parted from her, breathless, and she looked up at him, her eyelids heavy.

"You ready to head to bed yet?" he asked.

She smiled, "I'm thinking there's something I'd like a bit more, first."

He smiled knowingly and slowly undid the zip of her dress, before pulling it over her head and leaving it on the floor.


	17. Chapter 17

Syaoran and Sakura left the airport in a taxi, both exhausted from their trip to Hong Kong. Their engagement party that had been held on the Saturday had gone smoothly, thankfully, though Sakura had been overwhelmed by the sheer number of guests.

There had been businessmen, sponsors, and all the like. As Syaoran was the head of his family, he'd spent a lot of his night talking with them even though he just wanted to enjoy his night with Sakura.

Sakura met a lot of Syaoran's cousins and extended family, most bombarding her with questions about Syaoran and what clan she was from. It had been awkward explaining that she wasn't from any mighty magician clan, and she suspected they didn't approve. Not that it mattered, as Syaoran had said. But even so, it was a little disheartening. So, returning home was a bit of a relief to the both of them.

"Hey, we're home." Syaoran said softly.

Sakura roused from her sleep and looked out the window to find that they had indeed arrived home. They both got out of the taxi and got their luggage before heading inside and straight to bed, both way too exhausted from the flight and long weekend.

Sakura woke the next morning to the sound of the shower going. She rolled onto her side and closed her eyes again, still feeling drained from their weekend away. The water stopped and several moments later, Syaoran stepped out into the room.

Sakura felt the mattress dip beside her and warm arms snake around her body, pulling her close. She smiled and snuggled closer to his warmth, making him chuckle.

"You didn't bother to get dressed." She mumbled tiredly.

"Didn't feel like it." He replied, fingers sliding beneath her thin nightdress.

Sakura opened her eyes to meet with his warm amber, and she smiled mischievously. His hand slid up her back and around to cup her breast, and she arched her back against his touch. She tugged his face towards hers and kissed him, hard, letting him know how much she wanted him. He responded immediately and stripped her of her clothes, and then pulled her in for another kiss.

…

They lay next to each other, catching their breath. Sakura's body ached pleasurably, and while she knew she should get up and shower, she didn't think her legs could support her weight just yet.

"Exhausted?" he asked playfully. "Or not exhausted enough?"

She smiled, "Take your pick."

He nuzzled her neck. "Let's take a break..."

She hummed agreement as he suckled her pulse, pulling away and leaving a mark on her neck. He lightly ran his fingers through her soft auburn locks and she sighed in bliss.

"I can't believe we're getting married in just a few weeks." Sakura said with a smile, "Honestly, six months ago I never thought I would ever be married."

Syaoran smiled softly. "It's very real."

Her smile widened. "I really love you, you know."

"You tell me often." He laughed softly.

"Where are we going for our honeymoon?" she asked curiously.

"That's for me to know, and you to find out when we get there." Syaoran teased. Sakura laughed. "Meiling and my sisters are all excited for us." He said softly. "They adore you."

Sakura blushed, "They weren't like that with your previous partners?"

He shook his head. "Reina hated them, and they hated her."

"That must have been hard for you." Sakura murmured.

He nodded, "At the time, it was. But that's all in the past-now, I have a future to think about with you."

She smiled. "Do you want kids?" Sakura had been meaning to ask for a while, but had never found a way to bring up the subject.

"Yes, I do." He replied. "Wait-you're not pregnant, are you?"

She giggled, "No, sorry for the scare. Besides, I'm on the pill."

"Yeah but even that isn't one hundred per cent effective." He replied with a smile.

"That's true." Sakura said.

"Do _you_ want kids?" he asked.

She blushed. "At some point, yes. I don't mind when it happens, as long as they're safe."

He kissed her softly. "That's fine with me."

"We should really get up." Sakura giggled.

"But why?" Syaoran asked playfully.

"Because I'm starving." She replied in the same light tone. "I never said we had to get dressed."

He laughed.

Sakura stood from the bed and pulled on her satin dressing robe, tying the belt around her waist before she disappeared out the door. Syaoran sighed heavily and did the same before following her.

They ended up having pancakes for breakfast and spent the day recovering from their trip, passing the time with movies and a game or two, as well as, er, other things as well.

Then, the next day they returned to their usual work schedule, and it continued like that for the next few weeks up until the wedding.

…

Tomoyo zipped up Sakura's dress and smiled. "There we are-you look absolutely stunning."

Sakura looked at herself in the mirror. She wore a pure white satin A-line gown with a sweetheart neckline and spaghetti straps. The neckline was adorned with some lace and minimal crystal beads the glittered in the light. Her hair had been slightly curled, and a small tiara sat on top of her head. She wore minimal make up, just some mascara and eyeliner as well as a bit of lip gloss.

Sakura was speechless. "Tomoyo...wow..."

"Now, here's your bouquet." Tomoyo handed her a bouquet of white lilies and blue roses. "How are you feeling?"

Sakura sighed. "I feel so nervous." She confessed, "That's normal though, right?"

"Yes sweetie. Anything I can do to help?" Tomoyo replied.

Sakura sighed softly and shook her head.

Chiharu poked her head in, "Hey, the ceremony is in five. You ready?"

Sakura smiled, "Thanks Chiharu. We're coming now."

"You look incredible, by the way. Syaoran will fall in love with you all over again." She winked.

Sakura giggled, "Thank you. The credit goes to Tomoyo though."

Chiharu gave Tomoyo a thumbs up and then hurried off.

"Ok, ready?" Tomoyo asked.

Sakura nodded, "As ready as I'll ever be."

Sakura had no one to walk her down the aisle, but she didn't mind. She was very nervous walking down the aisle on her own but seeing Syaoran waiting for her at the end filled her with happiness and excitement.  
With each step she felt her anxiety slip away and was instead replaced by comfort as she took Syaoran's hand.

"You look breathtaking." He said softly.

She blushed, "You look amazing yourself."

The celebrant started the ceremony, running off a spiel about marriage, until it finally came to the couple reciting their vows.

Sakura teared up with joy and was so grateful her make-up was waterproof as they exchanged vows and rings, followed by a kiss. Cheers and applause erupted throughout the hall, congratulating the newlywed couple.

Sakura took Syaoran's hand and they walked out into the cold winter air with big smiles on their faces. But those smiles were wiped away in seconds.  
A loud bang sounded somewhere, and Tomoyo screamed.  
Sakura struggled to process what had just happened. She looked down, dark red staining her beautiful, white dress.

"SAKURA!" Syaoran shouted her name, but his voice seemed so far away.

The world blurred, and she fell to the ground. She could feel the cold earth beneath her, but at the same time she couldn't. It was a strange feeling and it was a bit unsettling. Snow had begun to fall around her, little white flecks landing on her pale skin. She stared up at the sky, wondering if she was really about to die.

Tears swelled up in her eyes as she saw Syaoran's face. She could feel herself losing consciousness as everything started to darken.

The last thing she saw before losing consciousness was Syaoran begging her to stay alive.

…

Eriol sat with Syaoran in the waiting room. They were both still dressed in their attire from the wedding, as was Tomoyo who was also with them, along with Chiharu and Yamazaki. Syaoran's sisters and Meiling were there as well.

"Who the hell would do something so awful!?" Meiling growled.

"Quiet down, we'll get in trouble." Feimei murmured, looking to her distraught brother.

"Sorry Syaoran..." Meiling apologised. He was already dealing with enough-she didn't need to add to it.

A nurse walked in and Tomoyo looked hopeful, "Is there any news about Sakura?"

"Sorry, not yet I'm afraid. There are some agents from the government here who want to speak to her family." She explained.

Syaoran looked up as a familiar face appeared, followed by a few other men dressed in black.

"Why are you here?" Syaoran snapped.

"We're here to keep your wife protected. May I speak with you alone?" Rin asked.

"Everyone here knows about her past." Syaoran said stonily. He was not in the mood to play politics when Sakura was on the operating table fighting for her life.

The man sighed. "Very well. We have already apprehended the person who shot your wife-they were hired by someone to kill her. Until we find this person, we'll be keeping her well protected. She's a valuable source of information, so if anyone found out she quit her job as an assassin, they might feel the need to eliminate her."

Syaoran clenched his fists. "Why should I not believe that you were responsible?"

"I'm not stupid, Mr Li. Like I said, she's a very valuable source of intel. Her skills are unlike anyone else's." He said, "You need to trust me."

Syaoran glared at him. "Fine."

Eriol frowned, "Do you have any idea who it is?"

"We have a few people in mind-people who were opposed to keeping her alive."

There was a knock at the door and the doctor stepped in, forcing the conversation to an end for the moment.

"Is she okay?" Syaoran asked desperately.

"Your wife is going to be fine. She'll be asleep for a while, but you're more than welcome to sit with her." The doctor answered kindly.

"Syaoran, we'll go get you and Sakura a change of clothes and something to eat. Any requests?" Fuutie asked.

Syaoran shook his head. His sister smiled sympathetically and hugged him. "Let us know when she wakes up."

He nodded. "Okay." He replied.

"Call me if you need anything." Eriol said, "Anything at all."

"Thanks."

Tomoyo smiled comfortingly. "I'll organise a private photographer for when Sakura's out of hospital and well enough. Meanwhile, I'll fix her dress and if there's anything I can do, call me."

"Thanks, Tomoyo. I appreciate that." He smiled weakly.

He watched as they all left him, and then he turned his attention to the government agent. "What will you do to keep her safe?" he demanded.

"We will be moving you and your wife to a safe, secure and secret location until this mess is finished. You will not be able to contact friends or family during the period once we've moved you."

"To keep from our location being known, right?" Syaoran murmured.

"Exactly. You seem familiar with this sort of protocol."

"I've been in similar situations in the past." Syaoran murmured. "When will you move us?"

"As soon as she's able to. Doctors will look after her at the location until she's well enough to take care of herself on her own."

Syaoran nodded. "Okay." He stood and walked past Rin to go and sit with Sakura, their conversation over.

Once Syaoran saw Sakura sleeping soundly he felt relief. She was alive. He walked over to her bed and sat in the chair beside it before taking her hand in his. Her wedding ring glinted in the light and he gave her hand a gentle squeeze.

He hoped she'd wake soon.

...

Sakura woke to sounds of beeping machines around her, and a familiar white room. She was in the hospital again. She remembered the wedding-the smiles, the laughter and the cheers-and then she remembered getting shot.

Something warm wrapped around her fingers and she felt someone kiss her forehead softly. "Syaoran...?"

She cracked open her eyes to see Syaoran smiling at her softly. She noticed he was dressed in a plain t-shirt and jeans with a hoodie.

"Hey," he greeted softly.

"How long have I been out?" she rasped.

"About twelve hours." Syaoran replied as he pressed the nurse call button.

"Was anyone else hurt...?" she asked.

He shook his head, "No, love."

She nodded. "Good..."

"Tomoyo is fixing your dress and organising a private photographer so we can do our photos when this is all over." Syaoran said.

"Are we going to be under protective custody?" she asked tiredly.

"Yeah. Your former boss explained everything to me while you were sleeping." He murmured.

She nodded, "When are we being moved...?"

"As soon as possible."

Again, she nodded. "I'm sorry Syaoran." She whispered.

Syaoran smiled, "Why? I knew that given your past, there would be risks."

"There's no telling how long we'll be away from everyone for..." Sakura said as a tear crawled down her cheek.

He wiped it away. "It's okay. I'm used to this-it happened a lot when I was growing up."

"But-the business..."

"My sisters are taking care of everything. There's no need to worry." He said softly.

Sakura reached out for his hand and he took it.

"We'll be okay." He murmured, and she nodded weakly. Until she was well enough to move again, there was nothing she could do. She was completely vulnerable, and that frustrated her a lot.

* * *

 **Whoops.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Here's chapter eighteen! Once again, thank you for your reviews, follows, favourites! They're very appreciated.**

* * *

The safe house was located on a small island somewhere in the middle of the sea. As it was the middle of winter, the beach wasn't inviting, and neither was being outside in the snow. They were pretty much in the middle of nowhere-totally off the grid-and it was unlikely that anyone would be able to find them.

Sakura lay comfortably in Syaoran's arms. They had been in the temporary home for nearly a month. It had been hard-no calls, no contact with anyone other than the government agents who were with them on the island 24/7. Having no contact with her friends only made Sakura even more anxious and she was sure she was going to be driven crazy if she didn't somehow get away.

"You know, this isn't exactly what I had in mind for our honeymoon." Syaoran said casually. It was late-about twelve a.m.

Sakura smiled, "Neither."

He shrugged his shoulders. "I'll have to organise something for when we get home."

"You don't have to..." she blushed.

"I want to."

Sakura smiled and kissed him. "I look forward to it, then."

He returned her gentle smile and tucked some hair behind her ear.

"Do you think the others are okay?" Sakura then asked worriedly.

"I'm sure they're fine." Syaoran murmured softly.

Sakura lowered her eyes. "I hope this will all be over soon."

"Me too." He squeezed her body gently. "For now, let's try and get some sleep."

She nodded, and he kissed her forehead before turning off the lamp.

…

Syaoran made pancakes for breakfast the next morning. Every few weeks new supplies were delivered to them so that they could eat and live comfortably.

The lounge had a TV that was only good for either playing video games on or watching movies. Other sources of entertainment included a large variety of books to read, and various board and card games. So really, there wasn't much to do.

Once breakfast was finished, they decided on relaxing on the couch while reading.

One of the agents, a kind woman with long straight brown hair and soft eyes smiled as she walked past. "Good morning, Mr and Mrs Li."

Sakura looked up and smiled brightly. "Good morning Miss Mizuki."

"It was cold last night, wasn't it? I had a hard time sleeping." The agent said.

"It was." Sakura agreed. "I've never liked winter much."

"That makes two of us." Syaoran murmured.

Miss Mizuki smiled, "I'll leave the two of you to yourselves."

The sound of a phone ringing filled the room. The agent pulled the mobile from her pocket and answered. "Yes?"

Sakura looked to Syaoran who shrugged. She had been aware that the agents had mobile communication devices, but they were only to be used in dire situations to call for help. And they never got calls either due to the fear that the line could be traced back to the island. So, the fact that the agent was even getting a call meant that something was either terribly wrong or they had found the person they were looking for.

Miss Mizuki glanced at the couple and then turned to walk away from them. Sakura stood and followed. The woman murmured something into the phone and then terminated the call.

"What's going on?" Sakura demanded. "What's happened?"

"I'm sorry, but-"

"I have a right to know!" Sakura shouted. She was scared-what if something had happened to their loved ones?

Syaoran walked to Sakura's side and put his arm around her waist. "Please-we know something is wrong." He said.

Miss Mizuki sighed softly. "That was a call from Rin."

"Rin?" Sakura frowned.

"Yes. He was calling to inform me about an urgent matter. I'm not supposed to tell you." She answered.

Syaoran frowned. "We have a right to know."

"It's the opera singer-Miss Daidouji. She's gone missing. Someone left behind a note for you, Mrs Li."

"What did it say?" Sakura asked quickly, panic and fear bubbling inside her chest.

"I'm not to tell you."

"Answer me!" Sakura cried.

Syaoran pulled her into his arms. "Sakura,"

"What did the note say?" Sakura pressed as tears threatened to spill down her cheeks.

Miss Mizuki sighed again. "It said 'You for the singer. If you don't show up at the old abandoned warehouse five in three days from now, your friend dies.'"

Sakura turned pale. "I have to go back. Tomoyo's life is in danger."

"You can't-it's too dangerous. Let the government handle this." Miss Mizuki said.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. "I trust the government about as far as a baby can throw. I won't let my best friend be killed because the government decided her life wasn't worth it!"

Syaoran took her hand and squeezed gently. "Sakura, we have no way of getting back to the mainland. I know it's hard-it is for me, too, but we need to wait."

Sakura knew he was right. But it didn't make it any less frustrating. He saw her lips quiver and he pulled her into his arms.

The agent left them alone, while Sakura cried into Syaoran's chest as he held her. It wasn't fair that Tomoyo was being targeted. She was such a kind and beautiful soul-she would never hurt anyone.

Sakura had to get back to the mainland by any means necessary.

...

Sakura barely spoke during the next day. She spent a lot of her time off in her own world, stressing about Tomoyo.

Syaoran watched her carefully, knowing what she was waiting for... but he wasn't going to stop her. He would do the exact same thing in her shoes. Instead, he wanted to go with her. Maybe it was foolish, but he was skilled with martial arts and with magic. He could be of assistance.

"Syaoran?"

He looked up to meet his wife's gaze.

"You know what I'm planning, don't you?"

"Just that you intend to get Tomoyo back, yes." Syaoran replied. "I'm coming with you."

She stared at him with surprise. "You're not going to stop me?"

"No. I'd do the same as you." Syaoran shrugged.

Sakura smiled. "Thank you."

He pulled her in for a hug. "Just don't do anything reckless."

She nodded and hugged him back, taking comfort in his embrace. Tomoyo was her first true friend. She couldn't leave her to suffer.

Their chance came in the middle of the night. Sakura knew that they were expecting a delivery of fresh food supplies, and that was really their only way of getting off the island. Some of the agents would be sleeping, but those who took the night shift were up and about. Sakura spotted the person who made the delivery and she sighed softly.

She knew how not to be seen. That was what she was trained in. But she wasn't sure about Syaoran.

"We need to get out without being seen." Sakura whispered.

He nodded his understanding. Sakura hoped she wouldn't have to knock anyone out-that was the last thing she wanted.

Quietly, they moved from the room towards the front door. They had less than thirty seconds to get outside without being seen. Sakura twisted the knob and it opened, and she slid outside with Syaoran right behind her.

It was freezing outside. The snow crunched beneath their feet as they hurried down the path.

"What date is it?" Sakura asked with a small frown.

"It's the 24th of December." Syaoran replied.

Christmas Eve. If they weren't in such a huge mess, they'd probably be spending Christmas with Syaoran's sisters and Meiling, and maybe even Eriol and Tomoyo. Sakura had never even experienced a real Christmas before.

They spotted the landing platform for the helicopter just up ahead.

"There's no one behind us." Syaoran murmured.

"Good." She replied.

Calmly, they made their way to the helicopter and opened the door, sliding in silently. Now all they had to do was stay hidden for long enough that they would leave the island. Sakura knew that they only had one chance, so she couldn't blow it.

After a five-minute wait, the helicopters pilot returned. Sakura and Syaoran were completely silent, waiting patiently in the dark. Minutes ticked by.

Ten.

Then twenty.

Thirty minutes.

Sakura guessed that they were probably in the middle of nowhere or close to land. She looked to Syaoran who was watching her softly in the dark.

She wondered how much longer it would take. She was starting to get impatient, and she didn't want to be caught by government agents as soon as they landed if they already knew that they had left.

Luckily, they went completely unnoticed until they landed. They surprised the pilot when they jumped out of the back and onto the ground, and when he moved to grab his phone, Syaoran kicked it out of his hand and then knocked him out.

"I'm sorry to do this, but I need to save my best friend." Sakura apologised, even though he couldn't hear her.

"What do you want to do from here?" Syaoran asked.

"We need to find a way to get to that warehouse, and fast." She answered, "I hope Tomoyo is okay..."

"Let's get moving then." Syaoran took her hand and pulled her alongside him.

They managed to find a taxi to drive them to the city docks. The warehouse they needed was located close by, so it wouldn't take them long to get to where they needed to be. When they approached, Sakura pulled Syaoran aside. They were both armed with hand guns they had taken from the helicopter pilot.

"We should split up." Sakura said.

"What?"

"I'll go in through the front to distract them. It's me they're after. I need you to take them by surprise from the back." She explained.

Syaoran wanted to protest, but he saw her logic. He looked thoughtful and she smiled.

"You've been watching me with that expression all night. Will you tell me what you're thinking?"

His lips curved into a smile. "Later, when this is over."

Sakura nodded and leant up on her tip-toes to kiss him.

"Be careful." He murmured.

"You too."

He watched as Sakura, his beautiful yet deadly wife, walked to the front of the old abandoned warehouse and disappeared inside. He sighed heavily and looked around for the best route around to the back of the warehouse. As he was about to move, he heard something click.

"Don't move."

Ah fuck.

Syaoran turned slowly. Was it someone who was paid to kill him? Someone who worked for whoever kidnapped Tomoyo?

"Mr Li, you can leave this infiltration to us. Please surrender and come with us. Our boss wishes to speak to you."

It was an agent. Equal parts of relief and dread coursed through his veins.

"Well I don't wish to be shot into submission, so I'll come with you." He answered.

"Good."

The male agent took his arm and led him away.

"Sakura's in there-"

"We're already on it, sir."

Syaoran sighed and nodded. He had to trust these people.

He was led to where there were two large vans and several vehicles with red and blue flashing lights. Syaoran spotted the familiar face of the man who had organised their protective custody, and a slight tinge of guilt made him grimace.

"Hello again, Mr Li. I was not expecting to meet you under these circumstances." The man greeted coolly.

"Likewise." He replied.

"I should have known she wouldn't trust us to handle this. She's inside, I take it?"

Syaoran nodded. "You're right. Why would she trust people who allowed her family to be slaughtered, to save her best friend?"

The man was speechless for a minute. He sighed heavily. "That was a mistake that can't be undone."

Syaoran laughed dryly. "A mistake? That's not how it looked on that little CD you gave us. Her father was a big-name businessman in the magic industry and provided a threat to the government because he was creating things that helped people-hospitals, the homeless, the less fortunate. But because the government couldn't lose votes at the time, the family was murdered and the youngest spared, so you could use her. Yeah, I'd say she has a good reason not to trust you."

Silence befell them.

"Sir, they've infiltrated the warehouse." One of the other agents spoke.

He nodded and then looked to Syaoran. "We will discuss you and your wife's protection later. For now, we must focus on getting her and the hostage out safely."

Syaoran sighed heavily. He hoped dearly that Sakura and Tomoyo were okay.

* * *

 **Aaand we're nearing the end. Three chapters and an epilogue to go! Also, if you check out my profile, you can see what stories i'm working on and what i'm currently uploading. The other stories i'm working on include Unwilling, And So We Meet At Last. A New Beginning is on hiatus until I've found my motivation and inspiration for the story again.**

 **Thanks!**


	19. Chapter 19

Sakura entered the dark warehouse and looked around. She could make out a lot of crates stacked on top of each other, but she couldn't see Tomoyo.

"Alright, I'm here! Give me back my best friend-a deal is a deal!" she shouted.

The light flicked on, revealing Tomoyo's presence up ahead. She was tied to a chair and her mouth taped shut. Tomoyo looked fearful.

Sakura frowned. "Where are you?" she called out into the darkness.

There was silence for a minute, and then a laugh sounded. "So, it really is true. One of the most feared assassins is now just an ordinary woman."

It was a male, but Sakura couldn't figure out where he was. "What do you want?" Sakura growled.

"You."

The voice came from behind her. She ducked and span around in time to block the blade that was coming towards her, followed by a fist.

Her instincts screamed at her to cast a wind barrier spell, but she didn't have the time. She just hoped that Syaoran would get there soon.

She dodged another swipe aimed to her right and then another coming from the opposite direction.

A fist made contact with her stomach, knocking the wind from her, followed by a fist to the side of her face. She tasted blood where her lip had split open.

As Sakura looked up, she saw a flash of silver coming for her and she had no time to dodge.

A loud bang sounded, and the assassin Sakura had been fighting howled in pain. Blood spurted from his hand and the knife fell to the floor with a clunk.

"Surrender peacefully or you'll die."

Sakura looked over to see several agents all pointing their guns at the man.

"Okay, okay! Fucking hell, you shot my hand!" he hissed.

Half of the agents kept their gun trained on him, while the other half moved to arrest him and help Sakura and Tomoyo.

Once Tomoyo was free, she flung her arms around Sakura. "Sakura-my god-that was so reckless! For a moment I was terrified he would kill you!" she cried.

Sakura felt guilt settle in the pit of her stomach. "I'm so sorry you had to see that."

"Are you ok?" Tomoyo then asked as she pulled away.

"Yes, but I think my jaw might be broken." Sakura confessed. "What about you? Did he hurt you? You must have been terrified."

Tomoyo shook her head. "No, he didn't hurt me. He made sure I was comfortable-I think his main motive was to get you to come out of the shadows."

Sakura hugged her friend again. "Thank god you're ok..."

Tomoyo smiled warmly.

As Sakura pulled back, she looked around for her husband.

"Where's Syaoran...?" she murmured. "Syaoran!?"

A female agent approached her calmly. "Mrs Li? Your husband is waiting for you outside."

Sakura looked to Tomoyo who smiled. "Go."

Sakura ran out of the warehouse and spotted the flashing lights near the car park. She ran towards the vehicles, where she found Syaoran talking to her former boss. Syaoran spotted her and she flung her arms around him. He returned her hug, holding her tight.

She was alive. Thank god.

They parted, and he immediately noticed her split lip and swelling jaw.

"What happened to you?" he asked.

"I got punched in the face a few times." Sakura replied. "And suffered a few kicks to the ribs."

He looked concerned. "Anything broken?"

"My jaw and one or two ribs, I think."

He sighed softly and hugged her again, holding her for a long time. They parted as Tomoyo approached with a blanket around her shoulders.

"Tomoyo-are you okay?" Syaoran asked.

She nodded, "Thanks for asking."

"Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but we're going to have to take you back to headquarters with us." Sakura's former boss spoke.

"Fine." Sakura said stonily.

…

Syaoran's sisters bombarded the young couple with hugs and tears of joy and worry. After Sakura and Syaoran had discussed new plans with the government agent, they were allowed to return home, but not unguarded. Tomoyo was being placed under protective custody, given that she was a high-profile victim.

"What are you doing back? Have they found whoever is after you?" Fuutie asked.

Syaoran shook his head. "No, but we do have a source now."

"Sakura, what happened to your face? It looks so sore." Meiling commented.

"We'll explain everything tomorrow-can we please just rest for now?" Syaoran pleaded tiredly.

The girls backed off, "Of course. We'll see you in the morning, then."

Syaoran smiled gratefully and then the two of them headed upstairs to their bedroom.

Everything was how they had left it when they'd been taken to the island. It was their first night in their bedroom together as husband and wife.

"Syaoran?" Sakura whispered through the dark.

"Mm?"

"I'm scared. About everything."

He rolled over and wrapped her in his arms. "Shh, just sleep."

Tired and exhausted, she did just that.

The morning was hectic. The girls surprised Syaoran and Sakura with Christmas presents-for Sakura, it was the first time anyone other than Tomoyo had given her a gift.

"Well, don't just stare at it-open it!" Meiling giggled.

The gift was inside an envelope, addressed to both Sakura and Syaoran.

Sakura opened it and removed two tickets for a paid trip to a luxury hotel and hot spring.

"You guys organised this for us?" Sakura whispered.

"We knew you didn't get a chance to go on your honeymoon, so we had help from the government to reschedule it." Feimei smiled, "Though it's not for quite a few months yet."

Syaoran smiled gratefully. "Thank you. We really appreciate it."

"So, are you going to explain to us what happened?" Shiefa asked.

Sakura looked to Syaoran and he nodded. She sighed softly. "Tomoyo had been kidnapped by an assassin, and if I didn't show up within a three-day time limit, she would die." Sakura confessed, and went on to explain everything that had happened in detail.

Meiling groaned. "You're BOTH so reckless. It's like you were made for each other."

"So, what happens now? They interrogate the assassin to find out who is after the two of you?" Fuutie asked.

Syaoran nodded. "That's the first step, yes. Tomoyo is being looked after-her agency is pissed, but her safety is top priority, so they can get screwed."

Sakura laughed.

"You mean they wanted Tomoyo to keep doing shows when her life was in danger?" Meiling asked with disbelief, "That's absurd!"

Sakura nodded agreement. "Yes, but the government ordered them to put her on halt until this mess is settled."

"Thank goodness." Shiefa sighed with relief.

"But what about you two?" Fuutie asked with a frown.

Syaoran had been waiting for that question. "There's agents surrounding our home at the moment. They'll be keeping watch 24/7, and we've been advised not to leave the house. You guys can, but not us."

Fuutie sighed softly. "So, you're not being taken back to wherever it is they were hiding you?"

Sakura cringed. "Under normal circumstances they would, but since it's me, they know I'm not likely to stay put. So, they've agreed to keep me in the loop on what is happening. They know I'll do something stupid if they don't."

Meiling rolled her eyes and shook her head. "What will we do with you?"

"I'm sorry." Sakura apologised.

"Whatever-just don't get yourselves killed, okay?"

Sakura nodded, "I promise we won't."

Feimei looked thoughtful for a moment. Then, she frowned. "Syaoran, what if its them again?" she asked.

Sakura blinked in confusion. Them? Who?

For a minute Syaoran wore the same confused expression, and then something dawned on him. "Oh god. Why didn't I think of this sooner?" he groaned.

"Syaoran...? Think of what? Who is she talking about?" Sakura asked.

He hesitated for a moment, and then sighed softly. "The opposing clan of magic who also run a business like my family. They're located in England, and ever since I was young, we were always targeted by them." He explained.

Sakura frowned. "So, it would make sense that if I were to marry into the family, they'd want me dead too."

Feimei nodded sadly.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. I should have told you this before we even started dating." Syaoran apologised.

Sakura looked up at him. "I'm not mad, Syaoran. Besides, with how I was at the beginning of our relationship, I don't think it would have bothered me anyway. And it STILL doesn't."

He wore a guilty expression. "Even so, I-"

"Don't." Sakura stopped him. "I knew of the risks when I made the choice to be with you. I was the assassin sent to kill you, remember?"

"She has a point." Meiling added.

Syaoran couldn't help but laugh. "Alright."

"Now, let's just enjoy our Christmas as a family, okay? No more of this talk." Fuutie laughed.

They all nodded agreement, and enjoyed a large lunch together, followed by Christmas pudding and some cake.

They gave Sakura her first true Christmas experience since she was six-her first Christmas with her new family.

By morning, they were all very hung over. Well...everyone except Syaoran. He made them all breakfast but was very unsympathetic towards them as they complained.

"I warned you not to get that drunk. But no, you didn't listen." He snapped.

"Ughhh, I think the only one who did listen was Sakura, and even she's not in good shape." Meiling grumbled.

Sakura was very pale and not very hungry, poking at her food. Syaoran gave her a sharp glare which she ignored since she was too busy lost in her own world.

"Earth to Sakura." Fuutie waved her hand in front of Sakura's face, grabbing her attention.

"Huh? Sorry-I didn't realise I had such a low tolerance for alcohol." She confessed.

"Here. This should help your stomach." Syaoran placed a tablet in front of her with a glass of cool water.

"Thanks," she smiled.

"I regret drinking that much..." Shiefa groaned.

"Never again." Agreed Feimei.

Syaoran just sighed and shook his head.

After breakfast, they all relaxed in the lounge room while watching whatever was on TV. Sakura had a bit more colour back in her face, which was a relief, but the others still weren't doing so great.

They were all a bit surprised-and very wary-when they heard the doorbell ring later in the day. Syaoran stood and answered the door, finding it was just the familiar face of the government agent.

"May I come in?" he asked.

"Sure." Syaoran stepped to the side and allowed him through before closing the door.

"Perhaps I should talk with your family, as well, since this regards all of you."

Syaoran raised his brow. "Alright-come this way."

He led the man into the lounge room, and Sakura turned the TV off.

"What's going on?" Sakura asked.

Her former boss looked a little surprised by the state of the women in the room.

"Don't look so concerned-they're just hung over." Syaoran explained.

"Ah, I see."

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked suspiciously.

The man took a seat. "The assassin we caught gave us the information he wanted in exchange for his life and freedom."

"Was it the magician clan from England?" Fuutie asked.

"Yes, how did you know that?"

"They've been after our family for years." Syaoran replied.

"More to the point, if Sakura was contracted by them to kill Syaoran, then wouldn't you have already known who was after them?" Meiling asked.

Sakura shook her head. "The person who gives us the job can remain anonymous. They don't have to give their identity."

"What Sakura says is correct." Rin spoke, "As they are in another country, and not Japanese citizens, the government cannot help any further. All we can do is try and keep you safe."

"We thought you might say that." Sakura said.

"We've decided to deal with the clan ourselves." Syaoran added.

"And just how will you do that?" he asked sceptically.

"We're still thinking of something, but we ask that you not interfere."

The man didn't look very happy. "Very well. I will do whatever you need of us. I believe we still have an agreement, Sakura. The government keeps your family safe in return for your help on cases."

Sakura nodded. He pulled a small mobile phone from his pocket and handed it to Sakura. "My contact details are in that phone. The line can't be traced, so you don't have to worry about that."

Sakura took it from him.

"When you have a plan, call me and tell me what needs to be done."

She looked surprised. "Thank you, but do you have some ulterior motive we don't know about?"

This time, he smiled. "You were one of our brightest agents, Sakura. But assassination wasn't for you."

"Sorry, I don't understand." Sakura said.

He sighed and stood, not bothering to answer her question. "I should leave now. Farewell ladies."

"Wait a moment." Sakura spoke, "When I told you I was quitting, and you threatened me, it wasn't actually a threat was it?"

Syaoran looked at Sakura with surprise.

"You were warning me, because Syaoran was a target which meant I might be too." She added.

The man shrugged. "Take it how you wish."

Then, he left the house.

Sakura sighed softly and looked at the phone in her hand. She hoped this mess would be over soon.

* * *

 **Hey everyone! Thank you for your reviews, follows and favourites! They are very appreciated. I hope you liked this chapter!**


	20. Chapter 20

Syaoran finished his conversation with Eriol and ended the call, turning to Sakura who was waiting anxiously. "Eriol has a contact in England that is willing to help us." He told her.

"Thank god..." she sighed with relief.

"I just hope this works." He murmured.

"Your sisters should be back in Hong Kong, right?"

Syaoran nodded. "I'm sure they're informing the family what's happening now. I just hope this plan works."

Sakura hugged him, and he held her tight. It would be risky. As he was the head of his family, Syaoran would head to England to meet with the other clans' leader to arrange some sort of agreement. Sakura was going with him, of course.

Eriol's contact was going to help get them a meeting-safely-but the trip was going to be risky. That was where Sakura's former boss came in.

"You called him, right?" Syaoran asked.

"Yeah. Agents are going to accompany us throughout the trip and help keep us safe." She replied.

"Not that we need it."

"Syaoran, please..."

He didn't say anything, just held her tighter. He wasn't happy that they were being escorted-he was trained to protect himself and his family, not to be protected and sheltered himself. But it helped Sakura feel more secure.

"I love you." He whispered.

"I love you too." She replied.

Syaoran cupped her cheek and locked eyes with her. She smiled softly.

"We should start packing." She said, "We leave in the morning."

"You're right." He murmured, and then smiled. She leant up and kissed him before turning and heading for the stairs and up to their room.

…

Sakura lay in the sheets beside Syaoran, both of them covered in a thin layer of sweat. They had finished packing, but afterwards got a little carried away with each other-not that they were bothered by that. Syaoran reached over to pick up his phone and checked the time. It was just past seven.

"What do we want for dinner?" he asked.

"Hmm... take out? It's easy and we can stay in bed." Sakura smiled mischievously.

Syaoran chuckled. "So that's your motive."

She moved so that she was partially lying on top of him. "Well?"

Syaoran couldn't help but laugh. "Alright. What would you like?"

"Surprise me." She replied with a sly smile.

"Well, okay then." He smiled.

Sakura waited as he went and ordered dinner for the two of them and sighed softly. She smiled to herself. She wondered what the upcoming year would hold for them, and how things would unfold.

She was broken away from her thoughts when Syaoran returned. He shrugged out of his dressing robe and laid back down beside Sakura, pulling her close.

...

Syaoran shook Sakura awake when they reached the airport. She had fallen asleep on his shoulder during the car ride since they had left the house so early in the morning. It was still dark, only four thirty in the morning.

"We're here. Come on." He murmured.

Sakura groaned. She loathed waking up. She yawned and then opened the car door, stepping out. Syaoran grabbed their luggage and carried it while Sakura pulled out her tickets and everything else they needed.

While it seemed like they were alone at first, they really weren't. People who were seemingly strangers around them were really agents. For example, the young male who was standing by the door of the airport, looking down at his phone as he texted someone.

Or the woman who was looking up at the boards to look at boarding times.

There was a couple getting their luggage weighed, and a security guard standing nearby.

All of them were agents. And there were more around.

They checked in for their flight and headed to their designated gate to wait. Sakura spotted several other passengers sitting in wait, some reading magazines or books as they waited.

"How many agents did he organise for us?" Syaoran whispered to Sakura.

"I don't know. As many as he could get, I think. He informed me that all of the passengers that are sitting around us on the plane are agents as well." Sakura answered. "I'm not sure about the hotel we'll be staying at though."

He nodded. "Eriol will be meeting us there. He's arranged a meeting with his contact for when we get there."

"Okay. Hopefully this will work." She sighed shakily.

"Sakura. I will do anything to make this work."

She smiled, "I know."

They were called for their flight and boarded the plane without any hassle. Syaoran and Sakura endured the flight, both sharing feelings of strong anxiety, knowing this whole situation could go terribly wrong. Perhaps it was because he knew that Syaoran felt so calm about the whole situation.

He wondered if his parents had felt the same way when they were dealing with politics and business affairs-all the stuff he now had to deal with. He sighed softly. The family business...

He knew the rest of the Li clan probably wouldn't take too kindly to what he was trying to do. They probably even thought of him as foolish for even trying. But for the sake of his family, and as their family head, he had to protect them.

"Syaoran? What's on your mind?" Sakura asked softly.

He looked over and met the soft gaze of his wife. He smiled tiredly. "I was just wondering about what the rest of my clan will do once they learn from my sisters what I'm about to do."

She watched him for a long moment. "Do you think they'll disapprove?"

He shrugged. "Some will, some won't. But I must do what's best for my family, regardless if they think I'm right or wrong." Syaoran explained. "I can't let this feud go on any longer. Neither side is innocent-we've done our fair share of wrongdoings too."

She smiled. "I'm sure everything will be alright."

He placed his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close; she rested her head on his shoulder comfortably and closed her eyes.

...

Eriol met them at the airport upon their arrival, and once they were in the car they were able to speak freely.

"You two look lovely." Eriol said.

Syaoran raised his brow. "Gee, thanks."

"How is Tomoyo?" Eriol then asked.

"She's in protective custody until this mess is sorted." Sakura replied. "Thank you for your help."

Eriol simply smiled. "What are friends for?"

"Is there anything we need to know before we get to this meeting?" Syaoran asked.

Eriol looked thoughtful for a moment. "Well, they're a strange family."

Sakura raised her brow. "Strange?"

"Care to elaborate?" Syaoran added.

"Well, the family head herself isn't able to use magic the way others can." Eriol explained, "Her magic lies dormant, so most of her clan don't even respect her as family head. But they do as she says thanks to her attendant."

Syaoran groaned. "This sounds messy already."

"Why do they listen to her attendant?" Sakura asked with confusion.

"Because he can easily over power them." Eriol answered. "So, I highly doubt they have any knowledge of the attempted assassinations."

Syaoran sighed heavily. "Then why am I meeting her...?"

Eriol smiled. "I think you'll find they can still be of great help to you, regardless."

"You seem awfully sure of this." Syaoran frowned.

"Just trust me."

Syaoran sighed and nodded.

They pulled up outside a mansion guarded by two large black gates. Upon receiving permission to enter, Sakura looked out the window to see the golden glow of the lamps lighting the road. The green lawn and beautiful garden were hidden by the dark of night, but Sakura could tell they were beautiful. They came to a stop and got out of the car.

Syaoran looked up at the mansion with a look of determination, and then looked to Sakura as she squeezed his hand.

Together, they walked up the stairs as the doors opened. A tall man stood there dressed in black and purple attire. His expression was kind though his amethyst gaze curious.

"Welcome." He greeted warmly, "My name is Yuna D. Kaito, Lady Akiho's attendant."

"It's a pleasure to meet you." Syaoran answered. "This is my wife, Sakura. I'm the head of the Li family, Syaoran."

Yuna smiled. "Mr Hiiragizawa has told me of your issue. Please, follow me."

Syaoran squeezed Sakura's hand as they followed the man through the large house. It was tense, but they endured it. They were led to what Syaoran guessed was a lounge of sorts.

"Please have a seat while I go and find Lady Akiho."

"Thank you." Syaoran replied, and Sakura watched as the man left the room.

They looked up when they heard a thud, followed by a groan. Syaoran and Sakura looked at each other with raised brows when a woman around Sakura's age stumbled in. She had short, platinum blonde hair that hung in ringlets framing her oval shaped face. Her big blue eyes landed on the pair and her face turned red.

"Oh goodness-I'm so sorry you had to see that." She apologised.

"Err...it's fine." Syaoran replied awkwardly.

The woman smiled, "My name is Akiho Shinomoto. I'm the head of my family. Yuna told me I would be expecting visitors-Mr and Mrs Li, right?"

Syaoran wasn't sure what to make of this clumsy young woman. Instead, he just nodded.

"He also explained to me the situation of our families. I would like to help." She added a lot more seriously.

Her attendant entered pushing a cart with a teapot and refreshments on top.

"You must be exhausted from your flight. Please help yourselves." She smiled.

"Thank you, that's kind of you." Sakura replied with a smile.

"Would you like to explain your situation to us?" Yuna asked.

Syaoran nodded. "I'm here about the ongoing feud between our families."

Akiho looked to Yuna who smiled and nodded. "This is about the businesses, isn't it?" Akiho said.

"Yes and no." Syaoran answered. "I know that with our families being powerful in magic, there has been a number of problems, not just with competing business, but competing in the magic field as well."

She looked alarmed. "What's wrong?"

Syaoran felt uncomfortable. "Since I was young, I and my family have often been targeted by assassins-hired by your family."

Akiho froze. "So...I was right..."

Sakura looked at the young woman with surprise. "You suspected this?"

Akiho and Yuna nodded. "I knew something wasn't right, so I asked Yuna to look into it secretly."

"I found quite a lot-sums of money paid to people who I looked into and found out they were assassins. Further fishing uncovered who they were after." Yuna explained, "I believe there was an attempt on your life recently?"

Syaoran looked to Sakura.

"Actually, they tried to kill me." Sakura spoke. "However, before that, an assassin was hired to kill Syaoran."

"How did you find out that our clan was behind the attempts?" Akiho asked. "I-I'm not doubting you or anything!" she added quickly.

"Ah...the assassin that kidnapped my best friend was interrogated by my former boss, a government official. And it led us here." Sakura explained.

"I see." She murmured.

"This will be difficult to handle." Yuna said, "I, and Lady Akiho, will need a lot of evidence to use against the family elders."

"That's been taken care of by Eriol. He has all of the documents and piles of evidence needed to convict them." Syaoran answered.

"Would you like to do that?" Akiho asked. "Unless there's something else we can do, of course."

"We're willing to hand it over to you in return for my family's safety. It is my duty to make sure I can ensure that." Syaoran answered.

Akiho looked to Kaito.

"What would you like to do, Lady Akiho?" Yuna asked.

"I'm not sure what the best course of action would be. The family don't think I'm capable of leading them, let alone handle the business." She murmured.

Yuna looked thoughtful for a minute.

"What are you thinking?" Syaoran asked.

"If you let us handle this issue, then I'd like to ask that you take on Lady Akiho as an apprentice. She could learn a lot from you." Yuna replied.

Syaoran stared at the man in shock.

"Huh?" Sakura and Akiho both said in unison.

* * *

 **I don't have much to say except for a thank you as always, to those of you who review/ed, favourited and followed this story! It's crazy it's near the end. As always, constructive criticism is welcome.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Final chapter, then the epilogue.**

* * *

The trip to England was not what they had expected. Sakura looked to Syaoran who looked utterly exhausted.

They were still waiting to hear back from Akiho and her attendant, Yuna. It had been three days since they'd come to an agreement-Syaoran would teach Akiho about running a business, as well as how to craft well, in exchange for their help to secure the safety of his clan. Since then, they had been staying at their hotel while waiting for news.

"Syaoran?" Sakura murmured.

He looked up and smiled. "What's up?"

"Are you really okay with this arrangement?" she asked.

Syaoran relaxed. "I admit I have mixed feelings about it, but it could be beneficial for us, too. We could create a good business partnership."

Sakura smiled, "Akiho seems really sweet. I'd like it if we could be friends."

Syaoran returned her smile. "Yes. Me too."

The sound of his phone ringing distracted them, and he answered it. It was Eriol. Sakura waited as Syaoran spoke with him, and then looked at him expectantly when he ended the call.

"The paperwork is all signed. If any more assassination attempts are made, they can lose absolutely everything as we have all the evidence we need to have them thrown in prison." Syaoran said.

Sakura let out a heavy sigh. "Oh, thank goodness."

"Miss Shinomoto wants to meet with us tomorrow." He added, "Are you up for it?"

Sakura nodded. "Of course."

"Great." He smiled.

…

Akiho greeted the couple cheerfully when they arrived the next afternoon. They sat in the lounge where fresh tea was already waiting for them.

"I wanted to thank you and apologise before you returned home." Akiho confessed. "I wanted to apologise on behalf of my clan for the dreadful actions that took place in the past, and to thank you for resolving this issue in a peaceful manner. It means a lot to me."

Syaoran and Sakura smiled. "Of course. It was the right thing to do."

She nodded agreement. "As it is the last day of the year, I look forward to starting the new year off on the right foot."

"We'd love that." Sakura said.

"When will the two of you be leaving?" Yuna asked.

"We leave tonight." Syaoran answered, "I'll give you my contact information, so we can organise an arrangement."

"If you don't mind, I'd like to wait for things to settle down first. My clan is still in a bit of disarray due to what's just happened, so I want to make sure they're okay first." Akiho said.

"That's fine. It gives us time to settle back into a normal routine again." Syaoran replied.

"You really care about your clan." Sakura smiled. "Syaoran cares about his family the same way."

Akiho smiled. "I know they might think of me as useless since I can't use magic like they can, but I'll still keep them safe in my own way-I'll still do what I can."

"I'm sure they'll see that." Sakura said, "I'm positive they will."

Akiho blushed. "Thank you."

"I hope your journey back to Japan is safe." Yuna added.

"Yes, we hope so too." Syaoran replied.

...

The flight home was peaceful, and both Syaoran and Sakura were relieved to be home. As soon as they got into their house, they both headed for bed, only to be woken by the sound of the doorbell going off.

Irritable, Sakura stood from bed and made her way down stairs, leaving Syaoran to rest. She opened the door wearing a very unimpressed expression, and her former boss smiled.

"My, aren't you excited to see me." He said.

"We only just got home from our flight. Couldn't this have waited?" Sakura snapped.

"No, not really." He shrugged. "May I come in?"

She rolled her eyes and stepped to the side, letting him through.

"Happy New Year." He said, and when she didn't answer, he added, "You're in an awfully bad mood. Did something happen while you were away?" he asked.

"No... Everything went great, actually." She murmured.

He watched her for a long moment. "Yet, you're still unhappy."

"Everything is just catching up to me. I was shot at my wedding, moved to a safe house on some island with no contact with my friends or family, my best friend was kidnapped..." she listed, "That's a lot to happen in the span of three months."

The smile dropped from his face and he looked thoughtfully at Sakura. "You're right. It is."

"Why are you here?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura?" Syaoran's voice distracted her and she looked over to meet the gaze of her husband. He still looked exhausted, just like she was.

"Sorry to disturb you." The man apologised to Syaoran.

"It's fine. Are you here about something important?" Syaoran replied as he reached Sakura's side.

"I'm here to congratulate you on your success, and to let you know that agents will still be watching out for you two until things have settled."

"And how long might that be?" Syaoran asked.

"Could be anywhere from a few weeks to several months." He answered. "That's not the only reason I'm here though."

Sakura frowned. "Care to elaborate?"

He sighed heavily. "There is nothing I can do to erase the past. We have robbed you of your family, and for that, I am to blame. I wouldn't hold it against you if you were to try and kill me."

Sakura stared at him blankly. Syaoran looked at her with worry.

"You can live with the guilt hanging over your head. Killing you serves no purpose." She said coldly. "It won't bring them back."

He didn't say anything, just nodded.

"I do have one question though." Sakura said. "Why did he leave me alive?"

He grimaced. "I'm sorry. Not even I know that-he never explained his real reasoning."

Sakura hated that she'd never know why she was spared, but it was just something she had to accept.

She sighed heavily. "Okay. Is that all?"

"Yes, I believe so." He said, "I'll be leaving now. Take care, you two."

Once he was gone, Sakura sat down with Syaoran on the couch. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her, "Welcome home."

She smiled. "You too."

They sat there for a while in the quiet until Sakura broke the silence. "What do we do now?" Sakura asked, "It's over, isn't it?"

Syaoran sighed softly. "I think so-for now, anyway. I guess we just continue to move on with our lives."

Sakura nodded. There were still so many things that could happen-that could go wrong-but for now they had dealt with the main issue. Now, they could live peacefully together, running the family business. Sakura looked forward to that very much, as well as the possibility of their own family in the future.

When? Perhaps it would be soon, perhaps not. As Syaoran had said once before, it would happen when it happened. But for now, they would take it one step at a time.


	22. Chapter 22

-Four Years Later-

Sakura stormed into the familiar, tall government building she loathed so much. It was a warm, sunny spring day-the absolute opposite of Sakura's mood. She stormed over to the elevator and whacked the up button, tapping her feet impatiently. She wanted to get home as soon as she could, so she could see Syaoran and hold their baby daughter who was only a few weeks old.

The elevator door opened with a ding, and she hurried inside, pressing the button for the top floor.

As soon as the doors opened again, she hurried out and down the corridor, turning corners until she reached the room she needed. She opened the door and stormed in.

"You should really knock before barging in like that." Rin said without looking up from his paperwork.

"Oh, save it!" she snapped, slamming the thick, heavy files under her arm down on his desk.

The man raised his brow. "That didn't take you long."

"Good thing I have a daughter to motivate me." She growled. "This is everything you asked me to find out-I can't promise you'll like what's inside."

"You're in an awfully foul mood for such a beautiful spring day."

Sakura's brow twitched. Then, she blew up.

"Gee, I wonder why? You come to me, a week after I've given birth, and order me to investigate a case on the other side of Japan! A WEEK! Do you have any idea what kind of HELL that was!? No, no you don't! So, don't give me crap about being in a foul mood!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

He stared at her for a long moment, expression unreadable. "Well, I guess you have the right to be pissed then." He shrugged. "You can go home, now."

"Good!" she growled, and stormed out of the office.

"You could close the door, you know!" he shouted after her, but she completely ignored him and left the building.

Once she was outside, her anger ebbed away, and she heaved a heavy sigh. Then, excitement settled in. She could finally go home to her family! It had only been two weeks, but for a new mother it felt like months. She couldn't wait to see their daughter and hold her safely in her arms again.

She smiled to herself and hoped that the last two weeks hadn't been too difficult for Syaoran. After all, Akiho had recently come to Japan to learn from him as well.

...

Syaoran stopped what he was doing when he heard his daughter start crying. The last two weeks without Sakura had been rough-he'd barely been able to get any sleep and looking after their newborn daughter on his own had not been easy.

So, he was incredibly relieved when he'd received a text from Sakura that morning letting him know she was coming home.

Sometimes she could be gone for up to a few months, and he knew how much she hated being away from home. Any cases that were near home were more bearable-she didn't have to leave her home.

The one thing he was thankful for was that she only had to do one or two cases a year-her former boss was kind enough to only call Sakura when they were absolutely desperate, but this latest case had pissed both him and Sakura off.

Akiho, who was in the middle of breaking open some stones, smiled sympathetically. "You should go to her." She said.

"I won't be long. Sorry about this." Syaoran apologised as he stood.

Akiho shook her head. "Don't apologise! She's your daughter."

Syaoran smiled awkwardly and left the room. While he worked, he kept little Shana in the office which was only down the hall. He opened the door and walked in, lifting her up into his arms. It didn't take long for Shana to settle, but he knew she'd start up again any moment now.

He heard the front door and knew Sakura was home, so he walked out to greet her just as she was headed for the stairs. Her green eyes landed on him and Shana, and she broke out into a big smile.

"Hey, we've missed you." Syaoran smiled softly.

"I missed you too." Sakura replied as she hugged him.

"I was just about to feed her. You must be exhausted from your trip-why don't you rest?" he said.

She shook her head, "I want to feed her, if you don't mind..."

"Sure." He smiled. "It's been rough for you, hasn't it?"

Sakura nodded as she took Shana into her arms. "I hated being away from her. It was like hell."

"I'm glad you're home safe. How'd the case go?" Syaoran asked as he moved to the kitchen to make himself and Sakura a hot drink.

"It went okay. I got all of the information I needed and came straight home." Sakura smiled, "What about you? How is Akiho doing? She wasn't too stressed out with the admin work, was she?"

Akiho walked in and she smiled upon seeing Sakura. "I thought I heard your voice."

"Hey," Sakura smiled.

"Akiho handled things really well while you were away. And she's a fast learner." Syaoran answered.

Akiho blushed at the compliment. She wasn't used to being praised for her work-after all, her family weren't that kind to her despite her status as family head-but she was learning to assert herself and in doing so, she was gaining their respect. It was slow, but it was happening.

"Thank you." She smiled.

"How long have you been in japan now? Six months?" Sakura asked.

"Yes! That's right." Akiho beamed, "Thank you again for teaching me. I'm learning so much from the two of you."

"It's fine." Syaoran replied.

Sakura smiled, "It's our pleasure."

The doorbell sounded, and they all looked at each other for a moment before Syaoran went and answered it. He came back with Tomoyo behind him, and the singers face lit up upon seeing Sakura and Shana.

"Oh, my goodness! She's so cute, Sakura!"

Sakura laughed, "Hi Tomoyo."

"Akiho! It's good to see you again-you should come and sing with me sometime!" Tomoyo added.

Akiho looked a bit flustered. "What? But I'm not a professional like you..."

"You've been singing since you were, little-and you sound amazing too! I'd love to sing with you sometime." Tomoyo replied.

Akiho relaxed. "Then I'd love to."

Sakura giggled. "You finally got time to come over, huh? Has work been stressful?"

"No, just tiring. I hope you don't mind my sudden visit-I really wanted to meet little Shana."

"It's perfect timing, actually. I just got home." Sakura laughed, "Right, sweetie? I've missed you so much."

Tomoyo laughed.

They all sat down at the table together, talking and catching up with each other. They were surprised when they'd realised it was so late, but Syaoran didn't mind missing out on a few hours of work for the one day. After seeing Tomoyo and Akiho off, Sakura and Syaoran sat down in the lounge room to rest. Shana was asleep in the nursery, so they were alone together. It was comforting, being able to hold one another close, and selfishly Sakura wished it would never end.

Living peacefully with her husband and daughter—that was her happiness.

* * *

 **Aaand that's the end. No matter how many times I read over these last two chapters, I could not figure out what to expand on or how. I'm not sorry that the confrontation with Akiho didn't have much action. I wrote it how I wanted it. I'll probably distance myself from the story and then return to it. It's mainly these last two chapters I'm not happy with.**

 **A BIG THANK YOU to everyone who has read this story, followed it and favourited it. It's been so fun, and I'm glad to have shared my work with you. Constructive criticism is always welcome, of course. I know my writing isn't perfect (lol).**


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